Love Never Fail Us
by Kadi219
Summary: Raydor/Flynn - Relationships don't always begin as we intend, sometimes we stumble into them, even when they are right. Life does not happen in a vacuum. Love, Life, and death, they are all constant and unstoppable. Sharon and Andy are finding their way, but their relationship will be tested.
1. Chapter 1

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

**A/N:** The idea for this came to me a while back. I began this story before the conclusion of season 3; I think we can all agree I've covered the Stroh subject enough. For the purposes of this, you draw your own conclusions to what has happened to him. I'm choosing to repress.

**Warning:** Adult content and Character Death (not a regular/core character). The loss of a loved one can come upon us in the most unexpected, and yet mundane fashion. Whether we have walked away from that person, or they have walked away from us, the heart is not a switch. It does not stop caring because of absence. Birth, life, and death, it is all about growth and how it shapes us, and those around us, and what we find in its aftermath.

Special thank you to the always awesome beta **deenikn8** and of course to the wonderful twin &amp; partner in crime **kate04us**_**.**_ It was the twin who found the title for this in the song _Love Never Fails_ when it reminded her of this story while it was still in progress. Isn't she the best?

**Note:** This is shorter than the last one, and 7 chapters are already completed. I will release them as the editing is finished. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1**

_Love does not delight in evil_

_Love - will always protect_

_always trust and always hope_

_and it will persevere_

_love rejoices in truth_

_Love never fails, never fails_

_I promise you_

_My love will never fail_

_And I will give to you_

_Faith, hope, and love_

_-Jim Brickman &amp; Amy Sky_

He knew that it was going to be a long night the moment he opened the door. That didn't stop Gavin from stepping aside and holding open the door to his downtown, high-rise condo. His brows rose in askance as she breezed past him. She didn't even bother to say hello. Gavin's lips pursed. He tried to think back to the last time that she bothered to drop by and found their recent social interactions to be very lacking. They had met for lunch, once, the previous month, and occasionally they would text. Aside from that, Gavin was coming up short on the instances in which his _friend _seemed to actually remember that she knew him.

He tapped his fingers against his still open door and watched her stride across his living room. "You used to call first," he snarked, and finally pushed the door closed with a flick of his wrist. "What if I was busy?"

"You're not." Sharon dropped her purse on a chair. "I need sex." There were an incredibly few people in her life with which she could discuss _anything_, and Gavin was one of them. Her mother and sisters, including her brothers' wives, were also in that group. It was a very small group. She was still limited on the things that she was willing to discuss with Emily, but as her daughter got older, they became closer. This would certainly _not_ have been one of those topics. No, this was a Gavin conversation.

He rolled his eyes at her. She was feeling melodramatic. He could sense it in the flare with which she spoke, and the way she tossed her hair over her shoulder before looking at him. There was an air about her, one of irritated desperation. She was probably the only person he knew that could pull it off. Gavin strode toward her. He lifted her purse from where she had discarded it and placed it on the table behind the sofa. "Yes," he stated simply, and with no small amount of sarcasm. "I'm sure that you do, but we've had this conversation sweetie. There are a lot of things that I will do _for_ you, Sharon, but _you_ are not one of them."

She snorted quietly. Sharon rolled her eyes and turned on the spot. "Oh shut up." She walked across the room, the liquor cabinet and bar that were situated just beside the double, glass balcony doors that afforded Gavin one of the best views in the city. She had tried, many times, to talk him out of the condo, and buy it for herself. He wasn't budging and she didn't blame him. The liquor cabinet was a mix of mahogany and marble. While Sharon opened it and began to sift through bottles, searching for a specific label, she continued to speak. "I don't want you, Gavin. I know that is damaging to your ego, but there you have it." She made a triumphant sound and lifted the bottle of gin. Sharon gathered a few other items from the well stocked cabinet, including a martini shaker. She turned and set it all out on the bar before retrieving a pair of martini glasses.

"I see." She was looking for alcohol. She was in a particularly bad mood if she was in the mood for that, Gavin realized. Typically she was a one or two glasses of wine girl, but there were moments when a dirty martini or a fun and fruity margarita was desired. When she went for the martinis, she was feeling especially naughty, and if he was able to get a margarita in her hand, then it was a matter of fun and laughter. Gavin walked over to the bar and took the gin out of her hand. "Alright, I'll play along. You want our lieutenant, but knowing you as I do, you're probably being stupid and stubborn. But yes, do, go ahead and tell me how much better you are for him than I am."

They traded places. Gavin took over mixing the martinis while Sharon moved around the bar and slipped onto one of the stools. Her nose wrinkled. "I don't want him anymore. You're welcome to him. Right now, all I want to do is drink." She rested her elbows against the surface of the bar and leaned against it. "Then maybe, if I'm lucky I can forget about idiots that have less balls than I thought."

Gavin's brows shot into his hairline. From behind his dark, designer frames, his eyes widened. He whistled at her and lifted the martini shaker. "My, my, you are feeling moody aren't you? You know, sweetie, there are only three things that have ever made you _this_ vicious." His eyes narrowed as he studied her. "Being pregnant, horny, or sick." Gavin reached across the bar and lay a hand against her forehead. "Well, you're too old for one, and you don't have a fever, so I'm going to go out on a limb and call it for option two."

Sharon glared at him. "Gavin." She sighed. He knew her too well, that was the only problem with them. He had no qualms at calling her on just about anything and everything. Although, it was also the reason she was there. Her mood would take very little in explanation. Gavin would just know. Sharon shook her head and held out a hand. "Less talking, more drinking."

He laughed as reached into the cooler beneath the bar for a jar of olives. "Oh I see. I can have him, but you're going to distract me by whining about him. Yes, yes, go ahead," he teased.

Sharon wasn't particularly listening to him anymore. She let her chin fall into her hand and watched as he mixed and poured the martinis. She accepted hers and took a grateful sip. "I really don't get it Gavin. I understand that it has been a few years, but it hasn't been _that_ long. I've done everything I know to do." Being legally separated, but technically still married to Jack all those years had not meant living like a nun. Relationships were out of the question, but she had _friends_. Like minded individuals with the same requirements, closed mouths, and no expectations. That had fallen by the wayside when she brought Rusty into her home. Suddenly there just hadn't been time, and she hadn't thought much about it. Now she was thinking about it. She was thinking about it _a lot_, but the difference was, she wasn't married anymore, technically or otherwise, and a relationship was no longer out of the question. Sharon sighed and blew a stray lock of hair out of her face. "What is even wrong with him," she continued. "I wore the red Valentino, Gavin. With the Jimmy Choo stilettos. He hardly even looked at me. Six months ago, he would have looked."

Gavin fought a smile. He poured himself a drink and watched as she stood, gesturing with one hand and holding the martini in the other. Yes, the Lieutenant would have looked. He was surprised to hear otherwise. In fact, he had been witness to said _looking_. It had his head tilting in question. "What did you do to him?"

Her eyes narrowed. Sharon glared at him. "Why do you always ask me that? I haven't done anything to him. Yet." Her lip curled. She walked over and took a seat on the sofa. "Last weekend when we drove up the coast for Nicole's birthday, I wore jeans, and those boots you picked up for me in Milan last year. The brown ones with the heels. Not even so much as a second glance. I'm throwing everything I have at him, I just don't know." Her lips turned down into a small pout. "I've been completely friend-zoned. He doesn't even look at my legs anymore, Gavin. I could count on him to let me know if my skirt was too short or not by how long it took to get his eyes above my waist, now I think I could walk into the Murder Room pantless and I doubt he would notice." She drained her glass and held it out to him as he walked past. "Really, maybe _you_ would have better luck at this point."

He rolled his eyes at her as they traded glasses, his full and untouched martini for her empty glass. He turned to walk back to the bar. "Maybe I would," he snarked. The loss of his drink would not go unpunished.

Sharon tipped her head back against the sofa and sighed. "It's just not fair. I saw him first."

"Did you?" Gavin walked over and took a seat on the sofa. Now that he had a glass in hand, he angled himself sideways to face her. "See him, I mean. Did you see him at all, and maybe that is part of the problem?" His brows lifted. "You can be incredibly single minded when you try hard enough, not to mention superiorly focused. Now all of a sudden, you think that you see him, and what is he meant to do? Come to heel just because you've snapped your fingers?" Gavin sipped his martini while he considered his next words. "He's a man, Sharon. He's not a puppy."

Her jaw dropped. She stared at him. "I know that!" Her green eyes flashed indignation. "Of course I know that, it just happens to_ be _the problem. Now that I can acknowledge that he is a man, he's gone and become absolutely clueless. I've done everything I can, Gavin, short of actually throwing myself at him. In case you've forgotten, my hands are a little tied here. There's only so much that I can do. I'm his boss. I can't just… I'm limited in what I can do. If one of us is going to make a move, it has to be him."

He watched her lean her head back and close her eyes. Gavin sighed. "Yes, okay, you're right about that. Has it occurred to you that maybe he… I don't know… decided to move on?"

"I don't see how," She said dully. Those were exactly the thoughts that had crossed her mind. "If he's not at work, he's with me. When would he have time to date? He's too busy _not_ dating me." Sharon drew a throw pillow into her lap and sighed. "I have to say, I'm a little lost here. He seemed interested enough, and now…" She shrugged. "Nothing. It's like he's there, but he's not there." Her shoulders slumped. Sharon drained the glass and placed it on the coffee table in front of them before drawing her legs up and leaning sideways on the sofa. "It seems oddly familiar, actually. Like I've been here before." She hugged the pillow to her chest. "It feels like I've been exactly here before, except we're not married, he's not drunk, and we're not about to go broke because he's gambled away our entire savings. He's just stopped seeing me."

Suddenly, the snark had given way to sadness. Gavin reached down and combed his fingers through her hair. "I think you might be reading too much into it. You've never compared them before. Refused to, as I remember it. Now I think you are because the other one has been making an ass of himself." Jack had fallen off the wagon, quite spectacularly, and his struggle to get back on it was a bit pathetic. Suddenly he realized that he had a wife, only she wasn't anymore, and he was taking his time at coming to terms with that. "You're getting morose darling." He handed her his martini. "I think it's time for you to stop thinking at all and just keep drinking."

"This won't solve my problems." Sharon sighed as she lifted it. "They'll all still be there in the morning." When he tried to take it back, she swatted his hand. Sharon looked up at him with a small smile. "That doesn't mean that I'm going to give it back."

"Of course not." Gavin rolled his eyes at her. "I forgot who I was dealing with, sweetie. Well, drink up. There's more where that came from."

Sharon leaned up on her elbow and pulled the olives out of the glass. "That is exactly what I was counting on." She pulled them off the stick with her teeth and chased them with a long sip. "Just keep pouring. I don't want to think about anything. I am done. For just one night, I'm shutting off everything. In an hour, if I can still remember my name, I'm going to be utterly disappointed in you."

"I can't have that." Gavin swung up from the sofa. He walked over to the bar and began mixing again. "One forgotten name coming right up. Just remember, in the morning, when you're miserable, you asked for it."

"Oh shut up and mix." Sharon placed the now empty glass on the coffee table and lay her head back down. "I'm wallowing here."

"Yes you are," Gavin muttered. He shook his head again. It was going to be a long night. These moods didn't strike often, but when they did, they came on strong. She was morose, irritated, and a tad desperate. Not that he could blame her, not entirely. He could understand where she was coming from, the doubts and fears, and even her hesitation. She was emotionally burned once, and now that she was ready to put herself out there again, there seemed to be no reason to do it. Making that decision would not have been easy for her, especially at her age and with the available dating pool. It wasn't as if she had a lot of time and options, and honestly, he didn't think that she wanted either. She wanted the familiar, the comfortable. If she _wanted_ to play the field, he knew that she certainly could, and with some success. She was not an unattractive woman, even at her age. Especially at her age.

She wanted someone that she could trust, someone that she had feelings for. She wanted the man who had slowly inserted himself into her life and her heart, and made her dare to think that the possibility of _more_ still existed. Now he seemed to be playing hard to get. Gavin wasn't sure that he understood all the ins and outs of that relationship, but he had seen and heard enough over the last year or so. He kept in mind what he knew of both of them while also keeping an eye on Sharon.

Gavin ordered dinner and over the course of the next two hours, they both managed to drink their fair share of martinis. She slowed down after those first few, they both did, and dinner helped. They talked some more, although they avoided the subject of any of the men in her life. They laughed, they planned a shopping trip, and in the end, Sharon still managed to fall asleep on his sofa. She was laying on her side, still hugging a throw pillow, and legs curled toward her chest. Gavin dropped a throw blanket over her and began picking up the refuse left behind from their drinking binge and take-out.

After cleaning up, he stepped out onto the balcony with his phone. He considered the lights of the city, from the many high-rises that surrounded his building, and the passing cars on the streets below. He tapped his phone against his palm for a minute. With a sigh, he scrolled through the contacts until he found a familiar name. It was late, but not absurdly so. After three rings, he heard a gruff voice answer.

"Flynn."

Gavin had only a second to think through his opening salvo. He rested a hand against his balcony rail and shifted his weight so that his hip was leaning against it. Suddenly, he smirked. "Lieutenant. It's Gavin, and before we go any farther, I have a few important questions for you. Are you gay?"

There was silence on the other end of the line. It lasted the space of a few beats before Andy replied, voice sounding both annoyed and confused. "What the hell? Is this a joke?"

"Not a joke." He tapped his fingers against the balcony rail. "This is actually very important. I need you to think. If you're not gay, then are you otherwise impaired, damaged, or impotent in some way?"

Andy sighed. His jaw clenched. "Gavin, are you drunk?" He couldn't imagine any other reason why the lawyer would be calling him, specifically with this line of questioning.

"Quite possibly, or else I would have thought better of having this conversation." Gavin turned and leaned against the railing. He gazed inside his condo and at the sleeping woman on his sofa. "You see, Lieutenant, and I think I should probably call you Andy at this point because we're going to get just a little bit personal. The thing is, I have a somewhat intoxicated woman sleeping on my sofa right now, and it's rare that she lets herself get that far gone but she wasn't exactly feeling all that terrific tonight. She'll probably kill me when she finds out I've called you, but the problem is, she's throwing everything she has at you right now, and getting absolutely nothing in return. As I see it that means that you are either gay, damaged, or incredibly stupid. At your age, there's nothing to be ashamed of, we either need to get you out of the closet or get you some pills. Now, if you're being stupid, that's a different matter. I can't fix stupid, and just let me be clear here, punishing her, for some perceived injustice on your part, by suddenly pretending to be completely _dis_interested would be very, very stupid. I don't believe you're blind, Andy, so which is it?"

He was met with silence. It seemed to stretch, and then there was a sigh. Andy pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't hard to figure out _which_ woman he was talking about. There was only the one that the two of them had in common. Andy swore quietly. "I'll come and get her," he decided, and figured it was best if he didn't address anything else that the lawyer had said.

Gavin's lips pursed. That was the correct response, in a round about sort of way. "What makes you think that you have the right?" He stepped away from the rail and began to pace the length of the balcony. "This isn't the first time that she's fallen asleep here. I think I know how to take care of Sharon. Probably better than you do, at this point. You're the reason she's here." Gavin smirked when he heard another sigh. "I thought she was insane. When I realized that she likes you, I thought she was out of her mind. That isn't to say that you aren't attractive, you are, believe me, you've been the subject of several conversations of that nature and not necessarily with just Sharon. When I compared you to the ex-husband, she shut me down. _She_ has never compared the two of you, not until tonight, and not in the way you might think. No, she compared her current relationship with you, to the one that she had with him… when he stopped seeing her."

"Listen, Gavin…"

He cut him off. He wasn't ready to hear it yet, and he wasn't finished. "No, I have more to say. If you've changed your mind, the kind thing to do would be to just tell her. Let her spend her time finding someone who might actually appreciate her, now that she's free to do so. Otherwise, wake up! Do you understand that she's doing as much as she's capable of? I don't mean personally, I mean legally. You work for her, idiot, and she can make herself available to you but she cannot express interest or otherwise approach the situation with you in any blatant manner! You're going to have to man up here, but don't be surprised if you get a chilly reception."

"Can you shut the hell up for five seconds?" Andy rolled his eyes. He already had his keys in hand and was leaving his house. "I don't remember you being this chatty before." He groaned. "Gavin, it's not disinterest, alright? That's all I'm going to say about it. The rest is none of your damned business. Now where the hell do you live?"

"Give me one good reason why I should tell you," Gavin shot back at him.

Andy ground his teeth together. "I work for her," he said. "You're right about that, and she's worked hard to get where she's at right now. Plus she's pretty damned important to me. I didn't want to blow it. I wanted to be sure." He unlocked his car and got in behind the wheel. "Now, where the hell am I going?"

Gavin clucked his tongue at the biting tongue. Then he was reminded that the Lieutenant had always been a bit impatient, and for some reason, Sharon was fond of that. He rolled his eyes. She was a goner. He made a point of filing that fact away for later teasing, and then he rattled off an address for the other man. "Just don't take too long, I think she's waited long enough for the men in her life to get their acts together." Gavin hung up on that happy note. He was rather pleased with himself for getting the final volley, even if he would probably pay for it later. He strode back into the condo and dropped his phone on an end table. Then he sat down to wait.

He didn't have to wait for very long. It was a matter of only a half an hour before the doorman downstairs was buzzing, requesting permission to let the Lieutenant come upstairs. Gavin was waiting at the door when he arrived. He stepped aside and let the other man in, but noted that he looked a bit concerned. "Over there," he waved an arm toward the sofa.

Andy turned where he stood and his eyes swept the room before settling on her. She was curled into the blanket and her hair was obscuring her face, but it was Sharon, and more at peace than he had seen her in a while despite what Gavin had said of her mood. He sighed quietly as he walked over and knelt down in front of the sofa. He reached out with a finger and drew her hair aside, only to tuck it behind her ear. "Sharon," he spoke quietly, and smiled when her eyes fluttered and she gave a soft hum. "Sweetheart, it's time to go." She only hummed again, but offered no resistance when he slipped an arm beneath her and drew her into a sitting position. Andy stood and drew her with him; he was reminded again at just how small she was in build, no matter the size of her personality. His back and knees still protested when he lifted her into his arms and cradled her to his chest like a child.

"Hm." She hummed again. Her face moved into the crook of his neck. Sharon sighed as her arms slipped around him. She settled comfortably against him, and let her nose nuzzle at the underside of his jaw. "Andy," She whispered his name, and let herself sink back into slumber, content with where she was.

He frowned as he stood there. She seemed to relax completely. Andy closed his eyes and turned his head to the side. His lips brushed the top of her head. He had been reticent to pursue this. He knew that he cared for her, and he knew that he wanted her. His attraction to his friend went back long before either of their children had ever called them out on it. She was a beautiful woman, but at the time, he had known or at least thought that she was well out of his league. He was a blue-collar kind of guy with a lot of baggage in his past. He was a drunk who managed to screw up all the good things he'd ever had in his life. His job was about all that he'd had left, along with a handful of friendships. He was still trying to piece together his relationship with his kids, and things were a lot better there, but that didn't mean that he was any good for her.

She had lived this life. She had the drunk of a husband who had blown her life apart. She had raised her kids without their father and she knew all of the excuses, all of the hurts, and all of the ways a man like him could completely shatter her. Why the hell would she ever want to take a chance on someone like him?

As he had gotten to know her better, the one thing that Andy came to realize was just how big a cheerleader for the underdog she was. Her life could have made her cynical, and instead, it made her believe in the existence of hope. She had hope that people could change, that they could turn their lives around, that there was a happy ending on the horizon. She was a realist too, and she didn't sit around waiting for those things.

She was also a hell of a lot of fun. The lady knew how to have a good time. His blue-collar roots didn't even seem to faze her. Put her in front of a ball game and she wanted beer on tap and the most fattening nachos that she could get her hands on. She was as happy at a picnic in the park, playing with Nicole's stepsons as she was at the fancy French place she liked to talk him into taking her to occasionally, when they were out for one of their dinners.

He had fallen for the laughing woman with the wildly blowing hair that let a pair of boys tackle her on the beach. They kept telling people that they were friends. No one seemed to believe them. Was it any wonder, when they spent most of their time together? He hadn't lied when he told her that he didn't want to tell Nicole that they weren't together. She had just misunderstood his reason. He wanted the reality of it. He wanted her.

There just seemed to be a number of obstacles in their path. First it was her marriage, and he realized early that she used it as a safety net. Once that was gone, he'd held back, not wanting to rush her. She was only recently divorced, and he didn't care how long she was separated. He knew Sharon now, and he knew that it had been hard for her to take that step. Hope, again, that things would change. Closing the door on it had hurt.

He wanted to give her time, and somewhere along the way, she had become his best friend and he couldn't say for sure, but he sensed that maybe that was true for her too. It was in the way that she would text him, even when she was out with Gavin, telling him about something they had seen or done, or making a note of something that they should do together. She would call him, if it wasn't too late, while she sat on her balcony and talk about the fact that she was at her wit's end with Rusty and whatever was happening between them at the moment. Usually it had to do with the fact that his other mother had upset him in some way, and rarely because Rusty had upset her. Although, she was a mother to a teenage boy. They argued, just as teenagers and their parents argue. God only knew how devoted those two were to each other, but they were human, and sometimes the condo was just too small.

When Rusty had agreed to the adoption, she had called him. It was late, and he'd already been in bed, but he hadn't minded it. She was crying, but she was happy, and he was going to be hers. Andy had reminded her, quietly, that he was already hers. She was just making it official.

There was a brief period when he thought that their friendship was over. She was upset with him, over Nicole's misconceptions and his participation in it. He had stayed away from her, as that seemed to be what she wanted. She'd gone out of her way to stay away from him just before the ballet, so it stood to reason that space was what she wanted. He gave it to her. He hadn't spoken to her unless it was necessary. It was hard as hell and went against his usual impatient nature. In the end, though, it paid off.

She came by his house on a Sunday morning. It was just as if nothing at all had happened. She brought coffee and pastries from the place that they both liked, and proceeded to make fun of him because he still hadn't done anything about his overgrown yard. He'd been talking about trimming it back and doing the mowing for two weeks. He stared at her, in her jeans and t-shirt, drinking her coffee and tearing off bits of a gooey cinnamon roll in his kitchen. He might have been a bit overly brusque when he'd asked her why she was there, but she had looked at him, and smiled warmly. "_You don't just drop your friends because they're idiots_."

He couldn't say that they had gone on from that moment as if nothing had changed. It had. There was a new awareness between them. If she thought that he wasn't cognizant of when things changed, she was mistaken. He knew when her interest shifted; it was perfectly clear to him when she realized her own feelings. Andy just hated that his refusal to acknowledge it had hurt her in some way. He just… well, he hadn't wanted to _hurt_ her. He just needed to figure a few things out.

Andy thought that he was no good for her, but she saw something in him. He wouldn't insult her by discounting her feelings completely. What Andy had done was make sure that he knew what he was willing to risk to be with her. What would he give up for her?

She was his boss. Like he'd told Gavin, she worked too hard to risk it all on him. She might not think it was an issue, and she might be right about that, but Andy had to make sure that it didn't become one. He had to make a choice, and he had to know, before he let things go any farther that the choice would be Sharon.

Gavin watched him as he stood there. He seemed lost while his mind drifted. One thing was evident. He wasn't seeing any disinterest. Quite the opposite. He rolled his eyes. Only Sharon could manage to complicate something so simple. Sometimes he just didn't know what he was going to do with her. Gavin walked over and stooped to pick up her shoes. He hooked the straps around the Lieutenant's fingers with a smirk. "You forget those, she'll kill you." Then he walked around and picked up her purse. He took a great deal of pleasure in working it onto the big Lieutenant's shoulder. "Now then, don't you look fetching."

Andy glared at him. "Gavin." He sighed rather that finish his statement. "She'll call you," he said instead. He started toward the door with Sharon in his arms and paused there for Gavin to open it for him. He ignored the way that the other man was smirking as he left the apartment.

After he made it to the elevator and they were closed securely inside, Andy sighed. He couldn't take her home. She wouldn't want Rusty to see her this way. He looked down at the woman in his arms. That really only left him one alternative. Andy shook his head, but he grinned. It was not how he'd imagined getting her into his bed for the first time.

This was certainly going to prove interesting.

**-TBC-**


	2. Chapter 2

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

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**Chapter 2**

She woke up in an unfamiliar bed. This was not entirely unexpected, since despite the ache in her head she clearly remembered being at Gavin's the night before. Sharon lay there for a moment, eyes closed, and considered the fact that she sincerely adored him for the fact that he somehow managed to get her into his guest room and undressed. The last thing that she really remembered was lying on his couch, but Gavin had obviously taken care of that. Or so she thought.

While she lay there, Sharon finally opened her eyes and realized that the room she was laying in was completely unfamiliar. This was not Gavin's guest room. She would know, since she had stayed in it before. The next thing that she realized was that she was not wearing pants, and the t-shirt that she was wearing not only looked familiar, but it also smelled familiar.

Sharon swept her hair back from her face as she sat up in the bed. The room was a bit of a blur, no great surprise considering that she was not wearing her glasses. Her eyes went immediately to the bedside table and she found them lying there. Beside them was a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin. Her head was hurting, but not bad enough for the aspirin. Caffeine would take care of the ache. She hadn't had _that_ much to drink the night before. Sharon slipped her glasses onto her face and let her eyes wander the room again while she tried to figure out just _where_ she had ended up.

Her suspicions were confirmed when her eyes landed on a framed photograph that was occupying the corner of a dresser across the room. Of course, if looking at a picture of Andy and Nicole, taken on her wedding day was not proof enough, the suit jacket that was thrown across the chair in the corner would have clued her in. There were also the ties that were hanging from a hook on the back of the closet door. Sharon groaned as she covered her face with her hand, the other fisted in the bedding beneath her. Dear god, what had she done?

She really did have no memory beyond lying down on Gavin's sofa after dinner. They had been talking and she had felt tired. It was a pleasant sort of fatigue that came over her after the initial buzz of intoxication faded. She remembered thinking that she would close her eyes for just a moment, but had no memory after that. She knew that she had gone to Gavin because she was frustrated and a little bit sad, perhaps even a lot sad, but she could not fathom that she would have acted in any way inappropriate, or that Gavin would have allowed her to act in any way that she might have regretted come morning. So that really did beg the question.

How the hell had she ended up in Andy Flynn's bed without any pants on?

She was still wearing her bra, at least, and knew without a doubt that this was not a situation that Andy would have taken advantage of. Thoughts that she must have been intoxicated enough that she threw herself at him left her feeling mortified. Sharon's face flushed with embarrassment as she slipped out of the bed. Across the foot of the bed a pair of sweats had been draped. Her eyes circled the room again and she found no sign of her own clothes. She pulled the sweats on and rolled the waistband down so that, while they dwarfed her, they were manageable.

In the adjoining bathroom Sharon found a toothbrush laying on the vanity, still in its package. That led her to believe that both it and the sweats had been left for her. She stared at herself in the mirror over the vanity and groaned. Her hair was a tousled mess and there were makeup smudges beneath her eyes. Sharon made quick work of washing her face and getting rid of the disgusting taste in her mouth. She could do that much, at least, before she had to show her face to the man whose home she had invaded.

She didn't want to leave the bedroom, and as she did, her stomach churned with nervous butterflies. Sharon had combed her fingers through her hair, taming it as much as possible, and tucked it behind her ears now as she made her way down a short hallway. She had been in his house before, but never so far as the guest bathroom that she passed as she made her way to the living room. She stopped and looked around. She spied her purse sitting on the bar that separated the living room from the kitchen. The fresh aroma of coffee hit her nose, and although she moved slowly, she walked toward the kitchen.

That was where she found him. He was standing in his kitchen, clad in a t-shirt and jeans, his gaze on the window above his sink as he drank from a cup of coffee. Sharon watched him for a moment and felt the anxiety churning inside her double as she took another step into the room. She fidgeted, for just a moment, then walked over and leaned against the counter nearby. She clasped her hands in front of her and stared at the floor. The tile was cool beneath her bare feet. She curled her toes against it. After a moment of just standing there, she finally looked up at him. The amusement in his dark gaze had her face flushing again. She sighed. "What did I do?"

There was such resignation in her tone. He had never seen her look so embarrassed, or so adorable. Rumpled as she was, dressed in his clothes, he decided quickly that he had also never seen her looking sexier. Andy turned and leaned his hip against the counter. "There's coffee," he said. He didn't intend to make her squirm, so he grinned at her. "You fell asleep at Gavin's. He called me. I figured you wouldn't want Rusty to see you like that, so I brought you here instead."

Her brows drew together in confusion. She'd fallen asleep at Gavin's before; it was why she was well acquainted with his guest room. It was also why she had told Rusty, before going over, that she would probably be home very late, or very early in the morning. "Then where are my clothes?" She was careful to keep her tone even.

Andy cleared his throat, rubbed his thumb across his brow. "Laundry room," he explained. "I thought you might be more comfortable if you changed. Sharon…" He sighed. He didn't know if he was insulted or amused that she thought something might have happened. "I slept on the couch." He put his coffee down and moved around her. Andy pulled down another cup and filled it. He set it on the counter beside her and then slid over the box of pastries that he had gone out for that morning. "Nothing happened."

Sharon watched him. Her brows lifted in askance. "So then, I didn't call you? Or…"

"What?" He grinned at her again. "Throw yourself at me? No." He waited a beat before adding, "Gavin called me, and then _he_ threw you at me." Andy shook his head at her. "Apparently I'm an ass. Although, I'm not entirely sure if he was concerned or hopeful, but I think the going theory from last night might have also been whether or not I'm gay."

"Oh my god." She covered her face with both hands. She was going to kill him. Sharon decided, very quickly, that she was going to wring that lawyer's neck and enjoy every minute of it. As much as she loved him, sometimes she just wanted to smack him. Sharon could well imagine what Gavin would have said to Andy, and that he had only done it because he felt that he was coming to her rescue. "I am so sorry…"

Her head was bowed, and her hair had fallen to obscure her face. Andy took a step forward and wrapped his hands around her wrists. He tugged her hands away. "Hey…" He had to dip his head to capture her gaze. She was completely mortified. Andy smiled gently at her. "Don't be sorry. He was looking out for you, and I'm kind of glad that he was. I've been…" Andy sighed. "Hell. I've been sitting on the fence for too long."

"I don't understand." She studied his face. He was sheepish and remorseful. That only confused her that much more. Sharon tugged her arms out of his grasp. She slipped around him. She didn't want to feel hemmed in if this conversation was going where she thought it might be. She folded her arms over her chest and turned. "I can only imagine what Gavin said last night, and really, Andy, it isn't a problem." She shook her head at him. "I appreciate whatever you thought might—"

"Sharon." He interrupted her with a small smile. "I see you," he said succinctly. "I've noticed. Every signal that you've thrown at me, I got it. The problem isn't that Gavin called me last night, so you can stop feeling embarrassed about it. This is something that we should've talked about, and that's my fault. You couldn't bring it up, and I didn't. There were things that I wanted to figure out first, and I really should've said something about it." Andy pushed away from the counter and walked toward her. "So let me be perfectly clear right now." He stopped in front of her, and although he was tempted to, he didn't touch her. "I want you. It's been hell not acting on that. The thing is, I'm going to kiss you, and you should know before I do, that I already talked to Taylor. I'm transferring. That's the decision that I've been working on."

Her eyes widened. Sharon put a hand up. It landed against his chest and she took a step back. "You did _what_?"

Her voice had dropped to that dangerous level that always made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Andy watched her eyes flash. He arched a brow at her. In this he would not waver. Andy stood a bit straighter. He felt his shoulders tense a bit. "I talked to Taylor about a transfer out of Major Crimes. The paperwork will be on your desk Monday morning. I've got a couple of weeks to wrap up any open cases or paperwork. It takes effect the first of the month. I'm going back to Robbery Homicide."

Sharon's mouth opened but there was no sound forthcoming. She snapped it closed and stared at him. Her most immediate thought was that he had just short-staffed her, and in doing so, he had taken away her second most experienced officer. She was both astonished and a little infuriated that he had gone to Taylor, about _them_, without discussing it with her first. Actually, she was pretty irritated that he'd done anything without discussing it with her first. Sharon shifted where she stood. Her eyes narrowed. "You discussed our personal relationship with my boss, and didn't think that you should discuss it with me first?" She held up a hand before he could respond. "Not only that, you took that personal relationship and you made a decision that affects both of us, without discussing it with me first? Furthermore, you made a professional decision that affects the cohesion of my division and you didn't think that I should be part of that either?"

When she put it that way, Andy supposed that it didn't exactly sound great. He could understand where she was coming from. He might very well feel the same way if their positions were reversed. At the same time, her tone had him bristling. He pushed back his own annoyance and folded his arms over his chest. "I didn't tell Taylor _why_ I wanted the transfer," he said first, wanting to put her mind at ease about that before they went any farther. "I told him it was personal, but I didn't give him any details. He didn't ask for any. Hell, Sharon, this isn't exactly a secret. When I told him that it was personal, he laughed. He thought this might be coming. Ellison is retiring at the end of the year. Taylor's been dragging his feet on replacing him because he thought he might get me for it. It was my unit once, I know how it works. For that matter, Taylor and I go back a ways. We were pals before he tried to screw me over. I was a damned usher at his wedding, alright? So yeah, I talked to your boss, but the son of a bitch owed me a favor. I called it in." He'd been sitting on it for a long time, too. There were any number of times when Andy could have used that particular card to his advantage, but something else had always come up. He'd always found a way around it. Mainly because he liked the idea that Taylor owed him one, especially after the spectacular way in which they had fallen out. Andy would never trust him again after the Croelick incident, but Taylor could be useful, to a limited degree.

"What gives you the right?" Sharon took another step back. She shook her head at him. She could not even begin to fathom what he had been thinking. It wasn't a bad career move. Ellison had been running Robbery Homicide since Taylor's promotion to Commander, and professional ambitions, had moved him beyond that position. He had continued to oversee the division, in an official capacity, until his promotion to Assistant Chief. There was a part of her that understood ambition and could see that much. At the moment, she wasn't keen to listen to it, especially since she knew that Andy wasn't overly ambitious about his career. "In what way have I ever given you the impression that I would appreciate being handled in this fashion?"

She could rile him almost faster than anyone he'd ever met before. That hadn't changed. No matter how close they had gotten over the last few years, or what he felt about her, she could try his temper in ways that amazed even him. Andy shifted where he stood. He squared his feet and then he pointed a finger at her. "It's my damned job. That gives me the right. What did you think was going to happen, Sharon? That we would fall into bed and you'd get your cake and eat it too? I thought you were above that." Andy shook his head when her lips thinned. "I _know_ that you're above that. It's why I did it. God almighty, woman!" He ran a hand through his hair. He didn't want to fight with her. Not about _this_. "So maybe no one will care," he said, "I doubt a lot of people will give a damn what two people our age end up doing outside of work, but there are those that will. There are those that would use it against you. How long, Sharon? How long before someone tries to jerk your reputation around because you're involved with a subordinate? Shit." He gestured between them. "Look at us right now, the fact that we're arguing about it and we haven't even done anything yet is a pretty good indication that it was the right move to make."

"It wasn't a decision that you should have made alone!" Sharon's arm swept out as she spoke. "Andy, my reputation, professional or otherwise, is no reason for you to throw away something that I know you care a great deal for. That is not a sacrifice that I ever wanted you to make. We could have handled it. I think that we're both adult enough, and experienced enough that we could have balanced our jobs with our personal relationship." She was touched that he would do this for her, but it didn't change the fact that he'd done it without her input.

"For a little while," he agreed. "We could have handled it, yeah, I can agree with that. Until we brought something home that we shouldn't. Or until we took something into the office that we shouldn't. It's going to happen. It's happening right now. We wouldn't be able to avoid it completely, and frankly, I think this is worth it. I care about you a hell of a lot more than I care about my job. It's a _job_, Sharon. I've got a hell of a lot more years behind me on the force than I have in front of me. What? Five years until the word retirement starts getting tossed my way? Another five after that, if I'm lucky, that I'll be able to dodge it? Assuming of course, and god forbid, that nothing happens before then. If we're lucky and we do this right, we could be talking about the rest of our lives, because that's what you mean to me. I've screwed up all the good in my life enough, I'm not risking this too, and sure as hell not on a job that I've only got a few years left at anyway."

"Andy." His name was a whisper on her lips. Sharon closed her eyes. She hadn't expected this. She cared about him, god only knew, and she did want the opportunity at a life with him. This was more than just a fling or the chance to scratch an itch. She wanted _him_. She pressed a hand against her stomach. The butterflies were back, but this time it was not an altogether unpleasant sensation. "This was never supposed to affect the others," she said quietly. "I never wanted our relationship to get in the way of the team." She had truly believed that they would be able to prevent that. That as close as they had become, they would be able to take that final step and continue as they had, without their personal relationship invading their professional one. He was right. They were already doing that, given the fact they were currently debating how one would affect the other.

"I know." Andy took a step forward. "Neither did I, and yeah, I thought we could handle it too. Until I realized how naïve that was. When I started to really think about it, and what this would mean for us, I figured a few things out pretty quick." He met her gaze. His eyes softened, warmed. "I can't work with you, Sharon. Not if we're together. Hell, I'm going to love you either way, but if we cross that line, I know myself. I'm going to want to protect you. I know you're capable of taking care of yourself, but it's already hard, and it'll just get harder. As much as I'm going to hate not being there to watch your back, I know that I would end up doing something stupid." He took another step, and this time he reached out and wrapped his hand around her arm. He drew her toward him. "Look, I would have liked to talk to you about this. This is exactly the kind of thing that I'd want your input on, but I couldn't talk to _you_ about transferring, because you're the reason I'm doing it. I couldn't talk to my boss about transferring, because she is the reason I'm doing it. I get it, Sharon. I'd be pissed too, but there's no way around it. I did what I had to do. If we're going to work, I did the only thing that I could do to make _sure_ that we work. This isn't some spur of the moment thing. I've been thinking about this for a while. That's why it took so long. I'm sorry if you thought I wasn't interested. I am. You have no idea…" He slipped a hand into her hair and tipped her head back. "You're worth making the right choice, Sharon. I wanted to make sure that when I made it, I was choosing _you_ and not the idea of you."

Her hand circled his wrist. His words had her heart skipping. Warmth filled her, but despite that, and the very many emotions that swept through her, she slipped out of his grasp. Sharon turned away from him. She paced across the kitchen and finally, when she turned back her eyes were moist. "He was right," she said thickly. "Provenza; every time that he told you that you were making a mistake, and every time that he warned you that this would end up effecting the entire division, he was right." They had discussed his partner's issues with them, only in so much as they had talked about his suspicions, but that had been before either of them had ever really considered moving beyond friendship and into something more. "I can't believe I didn't see it. I can't believe that I was that arrogant."

Andy shook his head as she walked away. "What the hell are we doing here, Sharon?" Irritation seeped into his tone. "You want me to call Taylor back and put a stop to it? I can do that. I'll tell him I changed my mind, and I'll probably look like a damned fool, but I'll do it if that's what you want. We'll never talk about this again, and we can go on just being friends, but you're going to have to make a choice. I get it, okay. I had to be the one to open us up to this, and I have. It's your turn. What do you want?"

She remained where she was. He was staring at her with an intensity that almost took her breath away. He would do it. He would close that door again if she asked him too. Or she could be the one to fling it wide open. Sharon closed her eyes and exhaled quietly. He had made a choice, and he had chosen her. It was what she had wanted, and it was what she had hoped for, but now she was left wondering if she had really chosen him or, as he had said, was it the idea of him that she wanted? She let herself consider it, because really, he deserved that much. After all that he had done to bring them to this point and the choice that he was making, not just for her but also for _them_, he deserved the same consideration. So she let her mind drift, and she thought about what it might mean to close that door again. Professionally they would remain sound, and it might be awkward for a time, but they would move beyond it. At the same time, she would lose something infinitely precious. She didn't imagine that their friendship would survive, not as it was now. She wouldn't be able to turn off her emotions. She would still care about him. To lose him, however, and she wasn't fooling herself… she would lose him if she chose their careers, it left her feeling cold.

"You." She said it without hesitation. "I want you."

He crossed the kitchen in three quick strides. Andy pushed his hands into her hair and tipped her head back. His mouth covered hers before either of them could change their minds. She had been worth waiting for, he decided, and let the taste and feel of her sweep over him until he thought of nothing else. She filled his senses, and the temptation to back her into the counter and lift her onto it was strong, but he pulled her against him instead. He gathered her close, and when the heat seemed too much, he turned his face into her hair. "You've got me," he said thickly.

Her arms were wrapped around his middle. Sharon turned her face into his neck and inhaled deeply. "You have me," she replied, voice soft. "I want this," she told him. "But that side of me that is your boss really doesn't want to lose you."

"I know." He hated that he was going to be leaving her shorthanded. He didn't like, either, that he wouldn't be with his team anymore. He'd miss them all, but it wasn't as if he was quitting. He'd just be down on the seventh floor. Some of their cases would overlap. He would see them all, and they would keep in touch, but it wasn't the same. It was never going to be the same again. "I'm not going to regret it," he said, and understood where some of her upset had come from. "You didn't ask me to make this choice." Andy leaned back from her, just enough so that he could look into her eyes again. "I chose this, and I'm good with it."

"Yes." Her hand was warm, gentle when she laid it against his cheek. Prone though he was to impatience and impetuous decisions, this was obviously not one of them. He had given it some thought. Quite a bit of thought considering how long it had taken him to come to that decision. "So that's it then," she drew her bottom lip between her teeth. "As of Monday we've basically lost you, but… as of next month, you're all mine?" Once his transfer papers were filed she would only be able to use him in a limited capacity, since anything he was currently working on would have to be finished before his start date in the new division. That was excluding any cases where his testimony would still be needed in court.

"That's the gist of it." His hands settled against her waist. "Taylor is signing off on the transfer, you just have to file the paperwork and I'm basically done with Major Crimes. I'll close out anything I've still got in my inbox and make the move."

"Hm." She hummed thoughtfully and let her hands slide down his chest. "Okay then." Sharon drew another deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay," she repeated, with more conviction. Sharon tipped her head back and smiled up at him. "Then can I have that coffee now? My head is killing me."

"I bet it is," he said dryly. Andy kissed the top of her head with a grin. He turned her and gave her a gentle push toward where he'd left the cup sitting. "I put your clothes through a steam cycle to get the wrinkles out. They're hanging in the laundry room. I thought you might want a shower before you head home."

"That would be wonderful." She lifted the cup and was delighted that it was still hot. Sharon sipped gratefully. She turned and leaned back against the counter. "I suppose I should thank you for undressing me and putting me to bed." She had the pleasure of watching him blush and smiled.

He rubbed the back of his neck and shifted where he stood. "Not how I imagined it, no. You were kind of out of it, and I didn't think you'd want to go home looking like you'd slept in your clothes."

She flashed a warm smile at him. "No, I wouldn't. Thank you, Andy. That was very thoughtful." Her eyes closed. "Thank you, also, for coming to get me. Even if I am going to kill Gavin," she promised.

"Don't." Andy grinned. "He meant well. He had a point. I took too long, and I should've said something to you, at least to let you know that I was on board. It wasn't fair." He moved to stand in front of her again and took her hand. "I am sorry about that," he said, voice soft.

"I know." He hadn't meant to hurt her, even if it had been completely inadvertent. It was more frustrating that truly hurtful. She appreciated the care that he had put into his decision. It made it that much more meaningful. When he lowered his head, however, Sharon turned hers to the side. "Oh no," she drawled with a smile. "You've gone to all this trouble to keep us from breaking any rules or getting off on the wrong foot. I'd hate to blow it all apart now…" His arm slipped around her waist and she was pulled flush against him. Sharon laughed when he turned his face into her neck. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "No one will ever believe that this was not my idea, you know that right?"

"Thank god." He nosed her hair aside and his lips moved against her ear. "It would ruin my reputation if they did."

Sharon snorted a quiet laugh that turned to a giggle when he nuzzled her neck. She shook her head at him and pushed him away from her. "Okay," she held him at arm's length. "I don't suppose you'd mind if I use your shower?" Her brows lifted and she added, "Alone."

"No." He sighed. "Go ahead. I'll get your stuff, and when you're ready, I can drive you over to pick up your car."

She touched his chest. Her smile was gentle. "I wouldn't mind if you followed me home," she told him. She wanted to check on Rusty and change her clothes, and then maybe they could see where the rest of the day took them. There was a hopeful expression in her gaze as she looked up at him.

His fingers brushed her cheek. His lips were soft against hers. "I think that can be arranged. Go get cleaned up. We'll figure the rest out."

"Yes we will," she agreed. They had the entire day and more ahead of them.

**-TBC-**


	3. Chapter 3

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Sharon was right about the caffeine. It had helped her headache. Andy had also talked her into eating before they left his house. Then he had driven her downtown to pick up her car. It was still waiting for her in the parking garage attached to Gavin's building. There was a note waiting on her windshield. Sharon rolled her eyes as she read it.

_Had plans this morning. We'll talk later. You can thank me with shoes. _

_~G xoxo_

Sharon planned to thank him all right, and she was certain that a shoe would be involved. She folded the note and placed it in her purse before sliding into her car. The drive across town took no time at all, at least considering that it was a typical mid-morning in Los Angeles traffic. Sharon spent the time thinking back over the conversation in Andy's kitchen. There was still a part of her that wanted to find a solution that didn't involve Andy transferring to another division, but she honestly couldn't see any way around that.

It really was the best option for them, if they were serious about pursuing this relationship. They were both very serious about it, which was why Sharon wasn't going to stop the transfer and she wasn't going to attempt to talk him out of it.

The solitude of the drive had given Sharon the opportunity to wrap her mind around it and feel better about the choice that they were making. By the time that she reached her apartment, Sharon had accepted it and put any thoughts of alternatives behind her.

Andy met her in the lobby and she took his hand with a smile as they made the walk to the elevator. It was like any number of other meetings they'd had in the lobby of her building. As they rode the elevator up to the eleventh floor, they talked about how they might like to spend the rest of the day. They each had errands that they had planned to take care of, but nothing that would take the entire day.

Sharon had planned to pick up her dry cleaning and she reminded a laughing Andy that she had a teenager to feed. That meant that grocery shopping was going to be a must. They simply couldn't let Rusty starve. As for Andy, he needed to pick up a gift for his son's birthday, and was dreading a trip to the mall. They were agreed that they wanted to spend the day together, so Sharon agreed to save Andy a trip to the mall by driving out to Santa Monica with him. There were a few shops that she thought might serve his purpose better. While they were out, they would have lunch and perhaps enjoy a walk along the boardwalk. On their way back to Los Feliz they would stop and pick up Sharon's dry cleaning, along with the groceries. In return, she planned to cook for him, since they were making a day of it.

They were still discussing Andy's options for his son's birthday gift as Sharon slipped her key into the lock. She pushed the door open and stepped into the apartment with Andy behind her. Sharon stopped short and was nearly knocked flat when he collided with her back. She blinked a few times at the sight that greeted them before she turned and placed her hands flat against his chest. Sharon shoved him backward, out of the apartment, and followed. She pulled the door closed behind her and leaned against it.

Andy reached up and stroked his chin. He cleared his throat and looked everywhere but at Sharon. He rocked back on his heels and inclined his head. "I…"

"No." She held up a hand. "Just… No." Sharon closed her eyes. It was too late, however, the image was emblazoned across her memory.

He rocked back on his heels again and shoved his hands into his pockets. "So… I guess that's Brad."

"Oh god." She covered her face with her hands. She leaned forward and let her forehead rest against his chest. "To think," she said, "all this time I've been worried about what _he_ might walk in on." She knew very little about the boy, besides the fact that Rusty had met him in his Sociology class and he liked him. They were the same age, and had some of the same interests. Rusty was reticent at first, given his history, but it seemed that he had gotten over _that_. She had only met Brad a couple of times, and only in passing. Rusty was always very careful at keeping those encounters brief. It was how she had known that he truly liked the boy. Why he always seemed to forget that she had been through this with two other children, Sharon didn't know, but this wasn't an entirely new experience for her. It just didn't seem to get any less embarrassing every time that it happened.

Andy snorted quietly. She shoved at him when he began to laugh. He sobered quickly when the door behind her opened. When Sharon straightened and turned, he looped an arm around her waist and drew her back against him. They were faced with a wide-eyed and rumpled looking Rusty. Behind Sharon, and where she couldn't see him, he was shaking his head frantically at the kid. The one thing you did not want to do, when your mom caught you making out with your boyfriend, was talk about it. "Morning, kid."

"Um." Rusty looked between them. Although his face was beet red, he quickly put that aside. He seemed to remember that Sharon told him she was going to be with Gavin the night before. She also told him she'd be home earlier than this. He honestly thought, knowing her Saturday routine as he did, that she had already been in and out and that he had the Condo to himself for a while. Clearly he was wrong. "Good morning."

"Rusty." Sharon didn't even know what to say. She decided to not say anything. It was a situation that she was honestly good with, at least for the moment. "We weren't planning on staying. I just need to change, and then Andy and I have plans."

"Obviously." Rusty squinted at her. She was still wearing what she had worn the night before. "I thought you were with Gavin?"

Her brows lifted. "Do we want to talk about it?"

"No." Rusty clamped his mouth shut and stepped back so that they could enter. "So," he said at length. "Brad and I were just heading out. Um, Brad, this is Lieutenant Flynn. He's… yeah, that's the one."

Andy frowned at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's nice to meet you." Brad was a tall, athletically built young man with dark hair and light eyes. He shifted uncomfortably where he stood. "Ma'am," he smiled politely at Sharon.

"Sharon," she corrected, and not for the first time. She smiled warmly at him. "It's good to see you again, Brad. Rusty, when will you be home?" Her brows lifted. "I'm cooking tonight."

"Late," he said. "We have plans with some friends. I'll text you if it gets too late, but I doubt I'll make dinner." Rusty grabbed his hoody and moved through the open door. He smirked at her. "I'm sure the Lieutenant will enjoy it."

Andy watched him go, and Brad trailing along behind him. "What is that supposed to mean?" He asked again.

Sharon laughed quietly. "That my son is not as oblivious as I would like him to be. I'm afraid that none of our children are." She smiled, rather indulgently at him. "They all knew before we did."

"Ah!" Andy pointed at her. "Jason doesn't believe any of it," he said of his son. "He's convinced Nicole is out of her mind and I've made you up. No woman would put up with me."

"There's hope for us yet!" Sharon tossed a saucy look at him before she sauntered down the hall toward her room.

Andy dropped into a chair to wait. He sniffed. "The kid could be a little less smug about it. Damned comedian." He leaned back in the chair and got comfortable while he waited. He supposed that Rusty could be a _little_ smug about it, given that he had been right. He had just called them out on it at a time when they weren't ready to acknowledge what was going on.

A lot had changed since then.

In the weeks that followed the ballet a new awareness had settled around both of them. Their interactions were different, but they were still friends. They were still close, and they had continued to spend time together after the initial awkwardness had passed. That was when Andy began to seriously think about what it would mean if he opted to pursue her. First and foremost he hadn't wanted to lose what they had. When she began to indicate that she might be equally interested, it had put his mind into overdrive.

Now they had the early days of summer upon them. With a decision reached, he allowed himself to relax. They would enjoy this, he decided, that anticipatory build toward a deeper relationship. They wanted it. They had earned it. He felt good about the choices that he was making. He wasn't going let anything bring them down, least of all his partner's reaction to it.

Those thoughts were completely pushed aside when Sharon returned. She strode into the room and the first thing that he noticed was her legs. She was wearing a flowing, deep blue sundress that danced around her thighs, but stopped short of reaching her knees. It was shorter than the skirts she wore to work, but he had learned that when she was free to put the Captain aside, Sharon liked to be a little bit flirty. It was fitted and sleeveless, and he was certain that his heart had skipped a few beats as his eyes slowly tracked upward. A thin, white belt drew his attention to her waist, but his gaze continued moving until it encountered the v-neckline that made it difficult for him to breathe. She had pulled on a light, sheer sweater in matching white to her belt, but Andy couldn't stop his eyes going back to her legs.

Perhaps it was her vanity. Sharon really didn't know, but his eyes had hardly done more than glance at her face before they had dropped again. She kept her makeup light, but she had straightened her hair and was allowing only the ends to curl around her shoulders in soft layers. She didn't mind, not in the least, not when the heat in his gaze warmed her through. That was the look that she had been missing, that he had been concealing from her while he had spent his time thinking about what he wanted. Now that he knew, it seemed he was holding nothing back. It must definitely be her vanity, she thought, that she would feel infinitely better now that he was leering at her again.

A smile tugged at her lips as she walked across the living room. She thought that she might regret the wedge sandals on her feet by the end of the day, but she had been looking for an opportunity to wear them. She was glad now that she had chosen them. Sharon stopped in front of Andy and leaned down. His eyes lifted as her hands caught the sides of his face. She kissed him, and when his hand moved into her hair and he angled her head to deepen it, she forgot that she had only intended it to be a chaste peck on his lips.

She was standing between his legs. The hand that he had in her hair fell to her waist. His other settled against her leg. He groaned quietly as his fingers danced against bare skin as it slipped slowly up the back of her thigh. He was tempted, as his tongue danced across her bottom lip, to pull her into his lap. Instead, Andy let his hands fall away from her when she stepped back. Her eyes were alight, amusement and desire he thought. When her tongue darted out to trace her lips, he stood. He pushed out of the chair and reached for her. He planted his hands against her waist and drug her against him. His head dipped and his lips skirted the curve of her jaw as they moved toward her neck. Andy nosed her hair aside and let his tongue trace the soft skin below her ear, where her pulse was rapidly beating.

If she had any doubts at all that he wanted her they were wiped completely out of her mind. She hummed, but as his hands started sliding upward, hers covered them. They had made plans to go out, and as much as she wanted him at the moment, she didn't think they were ready yet to cross that line. If they had gone to such lengths to lay solid groundwork for a relationship, they couldn't afford to undo all of it by moving too quickly now.

Andy groaned again and turned his face into her neck. His arms slipped around her and he held her while he waited for his heart rate to slow and the fire at his center to calm. He placed a kiss against her shoulder before he lifted his head. Her eyes were shining back at him again and there was a smile playing at her lips. He kissed those upturned lips and then he took a step back, but reached for her hand and held onto it. "We should go, or I'm going to want to talk you into staying."

"Yes." A shiver of excitement ran through her. "Now, before I decide to let you." She gave his hand a squeeze and walked over to retrieve her purse and keys. As they left and made the walk toward the elevator, she felt his hand land against the small of her back. It was comfortable and familiar, and after a moment, it slid lower until it lay nearer her hip. She moved closer into his side and enjoyed the simplicity of being able to stand near him, or to slide her arm around him while they waited for the elevator and hook her thumb through one of his belt loops.

Such subtle changes in their body language to represent such a significant change in their relationship. She enjoyed it. Even when they stepped into the elevator and he stood behind her, hands on her shoulders. She felt his lips touch the back of her head and her eyes closed. She smiled again. Those simple intimacies were exactly what she had craved the most. Yes, she felt good about this. The elevator doors opened in front of them and she stepped out into the lobby. Her hand moved back and she felt his wrap around it. She didn't have to look. They were moving forward. There wouldn't be anymore looking back.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

When Rusty got home that night it was late. It was nearing midnight, and for that reason and several others, he was quiet and careful as he let himself into the condo. He had not seen the Lieutenant's car downstairs, but he was still cautious as he opened the door and stepped inside. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or not that it was only Sharon that he found waiting inside. That she was waiting made him a little nervous. Rusty dropped his bag and his hoody on a chair as he moved into the living room.

Sharon was seated on the sofa, legs curled beneath her, wearing a t-shirt that he didn't recognize and a pair of yoga pants. Her hair was pulled back, and she held one of her favorite teacups cradled in both hands. Rusty sighed quietly as he lowered himself onto the sofa beside her. He had told her that he would be late, but she had waited up anyway.

He toed out of his sneakers and drew his legs up onto the sofa. "The Lieutenant already leave?"

She cut a look toward him. Her head tilted while a brow arched. "He did," she said, and left it at that. They'd had a pleasant day and an even better evening. It had ended at her door, just an hour ago, neither of them wanting him to leave but both of them knowing that he should. Despite the tea in her hands, she could still taste him on her lips. Heated kisses and questing hands, between quiet conversations about how they were going to move forward with their relationship had set the tone of the evening. Sharon pushed those thoughts aside now, although she enjoyed the warmth that the memories produced. "How was your evening with Brad?"

Rusty stared back at her. His brows rose. "Do we want to have this talk?" His expression was as curious as it was guarded. They talked about a lot of things, from his mother's addiction issues, to his past, and always there was his safety. They talked about his classes and what he wanted to be when he _grew up_. They discussed Emily and Ricky, and the dynamics of having siblings. Sometimes they even talked about her work, even though she tried to keep that away from him. This summer he was interning at the department, so he was seeing and hearing more, and neither of them could deny that he'd had his fair share of police investigations and psychopathic killers. They talked about guys that he had crushes on before, and she had listened to his misery when that hadn't worked out. This was a little different, though. It wasn't a crush, it was a relationship, and that was new. For both of them.

Sharon thought about it. Her lips pursed thoughtfully while her gaze drifted. When she looked back at Rusty, her eyes sparkled. They crinkled at the corners when she smiled at him. "Rusty…" Sharon sighed. She placed the teacup on the coffee table in front of them. She shook her head at him. "Yes," she said. "I want to have this talk. I want to know that you're being careful, and that what you're doing is what you _want_, and of course that you're happy. I only have two rules, you know that."

He wanted to roll his eyes at her, but it was amusement and not sarcasm that prompted the temptation. Rusty grinned, just a bit sheepishly. "Be safe. Be kind." He gestured with his hands. "I am. All of the above. I promise." Even when she drove him crazy, he knew that Sharon was just looking out for him. She loved him, and sometimes that was a little frustrating, but everyone assured him that it was normal. He made a face at her, though. "Sharon please?"

She laughed. Ricky and Emily hadn't wanted to discuss their relationships with her either, when they had started dating. Teenagers and their petulant need for privacy. "Okay." She would let him off the hook, but only because he had answered her most pressing concerns. "But," she quickly added, and the corners of her mouth twitched when he sighed. "I want you to bring Brad around more often. I want to know this boy that you're spending all of your time with, and Rusty…" She cringed inwardly before continuing. "I understand getting carried away, but—"

"Oh god, Sharon, really?" He lifted a throw pillow and buried his face in it. He groaned loudly. When she laughed, he tossed it at her. "What were _you_ doing in the living room all night." Her face turned red and he felt vindicated, but then she threw the pillow back at him. Rusty caught it with a grin. "That's what I thought. So should we call today a date, or are we still denying the obvious?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I love you, Russell Thomas Beck _Raydor_," she smirked, because legally that was his name, even if he was using Beck as an alias to prevent sounding like a horrible cartoon character. "But you are treading on very thin ice."

"Sharon." He stared at her. Rusty's expression had gone completely serious. "This is Los Angeles. We don't have ice."

"Oh!" She reached for the throw pillow beside her and tossed that at him too.

"I'm serious!" Rusty caught it easily. "I have to know that you're being careful." His eyes sparkled as he tossed the pillow back at her. "That you're doing what you _want, _and of course, that you're hap—" He trailed off when she hit him with the pillow. Rusty laughed and swung out with his own. "You hit like a girl."

Her eyes narrowed. There was a bubble of laughter trying to escape. "I am a girl, you rotten child." His pillow bounced off her shoulder and she moved to her knees on the sofa, gaining height and purchase.

"No." Rusty laughed. "You're just a mom." He got up quickly and rounded the end of the sofa before she could get him for that. "Come on, admit it," he continued. "It's not hard. It's just a little word. Say it with me. _Date_."

"Oh, I'm perfectly capable of saying it." She swept her hair back and huffed. "_Grounded_." Her eyes were a bright shade of green as they danced with amusement. "See? Rolls right off the tongue, don't you think?"

"Sure it does." Rusty picked up his bag and started toward the hall. "So does _My mom's got a boyfriend_." He flashed a wide grin back at her. "It's okay, don't worry about it. I'll tell Nicole."

Sharon fell sideways on the sofa with a groan. She covered her face with the throw pillow. "Oh god." That conversation had really not gone as she planned it. Rusty had completely turned the tables on her. Could he be anymore her son? Sharon sighed. She really did adore him. A grin spread across her face, however, and she sat up suddenly. Sharon rolled off the sofa and jogged down the hall. She leaned against the frame of Rusty's open bedroom door. "I suppose you won't mind then," she drawled, "if I tell Ricky and Emily about Brad?"

He fell face-first onto his bed. "Oh crap."

"Mmhm." She turned and sashayed back down the hall. "That's what I thought."

Rusty beat his head on the mattress. She always had to get the last word. He pushed up after a moment. "Hey, Sharon…" He knew that she wouldn't have gone farther than the living room or her own bedroom and would hear him. "Does that mean they already know that you're getting cozy with Flynn?"

She reappeared in his doorway a moment later, arms folded over her chest. Her eyes narrowed. "I'll stay out of your dating life if you stay out of mine," she decided.

"Deal." He smirked. "Hey Sharon," he called when she turned away again. He waited for her to step back. Her brows lifted and he smiled, more genuinely this time. "I'm glad. Even if we're not talking about it."

She flashed a bright, warm smile at him. "Thank you, Rusty." Her head tilted, and her smile softened. "So am I." Dating and finding his way through awkward social situations, it was exactly what he should be doing at this stage in his life. She was happy for him, and proud of him. "Good night, Rusty."

"Good night." This time she pulled his door closed when she left. Rusty lay back down across his bed with a sigh. As he gathered his pillow to his chest he grinned. He was still totally telling Nicole.

**-TBC-**


	4. Chapter 4

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Monday morning rolled around with very little fanfare. True to the agreement that he made with Taylor over the weekend, Sharon had a transfer request waiting on her desk. Andy had come in early and gotten the paperwork ready for her. She reviewed it, and felt just a little bit mournful as she signed the request. She would miss looking out her office and seeing him there, close and steadfast and only a few feet away. At the same time, there was a sense of hope and an almost giddiness that filled her as she put the finishing touches on her signature.

A second form joined the transfer request. It was the official notification that she had entered into a personal relationship with a subordinate officer. She was required to report it, and couldn't deny the relief that she felt that it was joining the transfer request. Her adherence to the rules was, perhaps, more ingrained than she originally believed.

Sharon placed the forms back in the folder and stood with it. She rounded her desk and stepped out of the office. Her people were all hard at work, wrapping the reports on their previous case while they waited for another to be assigned. Sharon let her gaze sweep the room, it would be the last time that she would see them like _this_, all together and untouched by the decisions of her personal life. Her eyes lingered on the back of Andy's head for a moment. He was bent over his desk, and from the several files that were stacked on it, she knew that he was already engaged in his transfer prep. She nodded once. He was approaching it without hesitation and she would do the same.

She turned and made the walk down the hall away from the murder room. She let her steps carry her to the chief's office. When she entered, the secretary in the outer office smiled at her. "He said you'd be by." She glanced at the time display on her computer. "He has a call in twenty minutes, but he's free right now. Go on in."

"Thank you, Ida." Sharon smiled and made her way back, down a short hall to where the chief's office was housed. She knocked lightly on the open door before stepping inside. Her face was carefully schooled into an impassive mask when Russell Taylor looked up at her. "Chief."

"Captain." He leaned back in his chair and waved her forward. "Have a seat." Taylor had wondered if he would see her today, or if Flynn had lost his mind. He couldn't imagine what personal reasons the Lieutenant would have for wanting to transfer, except the one that was currently lowering herself into a chair in front of his desk. He wasn't blind. Like everyone else who worked with them he had seen how close the pair of them had become. Honestly, Taylor didn't care what they did, as long as they kept getting results, and it didn't become an issue for the department. These kinds of relationships could be a problem, but really, he was enough of a realist to know that they were all beyond a certain age. A lot of people wouldn't care what a couple of officers close to retirement age were doing outside of work. It was why he had been happy to ignore it. Although, as he'd told Flynn, he did need to move an experienced officer over to Robbery Homicide to fill the slot that Lieutenant Ellison was going to be leaving behind when he retired. He was of a mind to use this to maneuver Flynn over there, and now it was happening, without his immediate intervention. Patience, he thought, sometimes things just worked out for themselves.

Sharon settled into the chair and placed the file folder on his desk. "Lieutenant Flynn informed me that he's already discussed the particulars of his transfer request with you," she said, cutting to the chase and avoiding the need for small talk or hedging around the topic. "I've signed the forms and I've pulled him back to begin working out his current cases."

Taylor fought the urge to smile. He lifted the folder and opened it. The request was on top. He should have known that she would get directly to the point. "Yes. Flynn was pretty intent on this. No chance you'll be able to change his mind?"

He was fishing. Sharon was tempted to roll her eyes at him, but didn't. "No. He and I have discussed it. I think it's a good fit for him. He's had some issues in the past, but I think this is an excellent opportunity to show that he's grown as an officer." Her head tilted. She almost sighed. "There is also the reason behind his request. I've enclosed the necessary paperwork with the Lieutenant's transfer papers. I trust that will put everything in order?"

He arched a brow as he shifted the first form aside. Sure enough, a second had joined it. Taylor read over it quickly. He chuckled. "Yes, Captain. I think that does settle it nicely." He lifted it and looked at her. "Are you sure about this?" There was something more akin to concern in his gaze. He went back a long time with all of them. The thing about working with people for a long time was that you got to know them, at least on some levels, and certain personal details came to light. "I'll still take Flynn off your hands, I need to shuffle someone over to Robbery Homicide, but after I file this there's no going back."

Sharon did sigh. She clasped her hands in her lap as she met his gaze. "Have you ever known me to not be sure? File it, Russell," she said, using his name in deference to just how long they had worked together, and the personal tone that the conversation had taken. "I hate that I'm losing an experienced officer, and I have a very short list of replacements that I expect you to approve without hesitation if one of them accepts the job. At the same time, I'm excited for Andy. He won't have my rule book beating him over the head anymore, and moving forward is something that we both want." She shrugged. "We're sure. Even if we hadn't come to this, it was still within your purview to move him. The regulation says I have to report it, it never said I would be able to keep him on my team."

"True." Taylor smirked. "I just don't care," he said, and didn't mean it to sound like disregard. "If there's anyone around here that I can trust to behave professionally, I think it's you. The jury is out on Flynn, but…" He trailed off with a grin, and leaned back in his chair again when she laughed. "I don't suppose you've broken it to the rest of your team yet?"

"The lack of yelling would be an indication that hasn't happened yet," She almost cringed. Sharon shook her head. "I'm anticipating that the transition might be a little bumpy, but this was Andy's choice. He brought it to me. After the initial shock wears off, I'm sure that he'll deal with them. They've all worked together for a long time. I don't expect that I'll need to get overly involved. I think we're cohesive enough as a division that we can handle it. If this had come a few years ago," Sharon gestured with her hands. "The outcome would be very different. The only real problem that I foresee is…"

"Provenza," he finished for her. Taylor nodded slowly. "The old man doesn't like change, and they've been together a long damned time." He chuckled quietly. "I don't envy you that conversation."

"Thanks." Sharon did roll her eyes at him then. "I'm going to remember that when he's running to you to complain." She pushed out of her chair and stood before him. "Is there anything else, Chief?"

"No." He reached out and lay a hand on the folder. "I think this covers it. I'll get it pushed through. First of the month," he reminded her.

"Understood." She nodded.

"Good." Taylor watched her walk across the office. "Try to behave yourselves until then." She cut a look at him that might have frightened anyone else, but he just grinned. She would get even with him, he was sure, but he had been waiting all weekend to toss that little zinger at her. He spread his hands at her. "My broom is bigger."

"We'll see about that," she drawled. She made a mental note that his promotion had made him a little too complacent in some areas.

When Sharon returned to the Murder Room, the sound of her heels against the tile drew Andy's attention. He turned to look at her. Their eyes met and she nodded once. It was done, then. He looked for signs of hesitation or regret but found none. He nodded back at her and drummed his fingers against his desk. His eyes swept the room before his gaze moved back to where she now stood, beside her office. He tilted his head at her in askance.

Sharon shot a look at her conference room and lifted her brows at him. They would need to make the announcement, sooner was better than later. Taylor was still the biggest gossip in the department. It wouldn't be long before news of Andy's transfer was moving along the grapevine. Their people needed to hear it from him. He shook his head at her as he stood. He walked around and sat on the edge of his desk. He clasped his hands in his lap. Sharon smiled. He didn't want any formalities or ceremony. They would keep it casual. She folded her hands together in front of her and walked over to stand at the edge of the room. This had been his choice, it would be his show.

Andy considered his words for a moment. Finally he just looked at the floor and sighed. "Hey, guys…" He waited until he had their attention. His gaze moved over them again, and he gauged the curious expressions that all of them wore, except Provenza. He looked annoyed at being interrupted. Andy ignored that. "So listen. There's gonna be some news hit the grapevine soon. Lieutenant Ellison is retiring," he began. "He's gone at the end of the year. At least that's the official retirement date. He's going out on leave in a couple of months; he's just not coming back." He'd had some health problems, but he had a bum back that was going to need operating on. His retirement had come as a result of that. "Taylor has been looking for someone to replace him." Andy hadn't realized that saying it would be so hard, but as little as he regretted the choice, the words got stuck in his throat. He had to force them out. "I'm taking it. At the first of the month I'm moving back over to Robbery Homicide."

Silence filled the murder room as everyone looked at each other. The sound of Provenza's hand, slapping against the top of his desk made them jump. "You idiot!" He stood up and glowered at his partner. "Did you bump your fool head? Why would you do something so stupid?"

As one, and with the exception of Andy, every gaze in the room moved to the Captain. She stared impassively back at them. "The Lieutenant informed me of his decision this morning. I've just finished finalizing the details with Chief Taylor," she stated.

Provenza's eyes narrowed. "Oh I'll just bet you did," he muttered. He shook a finger at Flynn. "This is probably the dumbest thing you've ever done. No one cares if the two of you…" He waved a hand at them, but couldn't quite manage to form the words. "What kind of stupid are you to take a job with more paperwork in a day than we normally see in a week? Are you out of your mind?"

Andy blinked. He scratched his head. "Wait a minute… you're not pissed I'm transferring. You're pissed I'm getting a promotion?" Which it was, essentially, just without the increase in rank. He was good with that, since it had come with a pay increase. Small, but an increase anyway, given the job would be more administrative than anything.

"Well of course I am!" He reached for his crossword and slapped it against the edge of his desk in frustration. "She's turned you into a damned paper pusher. You used to be a cop!"

"Lieutenant." Sharon arched a brow at him. Her voice dipped warningly. She would allow him to only go so far.

He glared at her. Provenza sniffed. He would accept her limitations, for now. He'd already made his opinion on the matter clear anyway. "Fine, it's his paper cut funeral. What are we supposed to do around here while we're down a man? Start letting _Buzz_ investigate the murders."

"That would be an improvement," the younger man muttered.

Provenza shot a scowl at him. "Take him with you," he told Flynn. "We'll let Rusty run the cameras."

"Wait, what?" The boy, who was interning as Buzz's assistant turned where he stood. He threw his hands up in front of himself. "I am so not getting involved in this." He turned back to the disks he had been sorting for Buzz. "But if it pays enough," he muttered.

"Hey." Buzz made a face at him. Then he stopped. He turned to look at the Captain. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. What is the pay increase for taking over the Lieutenant's job?"

Sharon rolled her eyes at them. She folded her arms across her chest. "Gentlemen."

They both pointed at Provenza. "He started it," they said.

"Indeed." Sharon took a step forward. "We all have a lot of work to do," she said, and waved a hand at Andy's desk, "as does the Lieutenant before his transfer is complete. "I'm sure you will all join me in wishing him well with his future endeavors."

"Uh huh." Provenza snorted. "I just bet you are."

"Lieutenant." Sharon glared at him. She was completely unfazed by his smirk. "If you would like to discuss the matter in more detail, my office is right over there," she said.

She had that warning tone. The one that said he was pushing it just a little too far. Provenza frowned at her. "No, Captain. That will be fine. What I would like to do is take that one outside," he waved a hand at Flynn, "and knock some sense back into his head. Robbery Homicide, really?" Could they not have come up with a better solution than _that_? Every single one of them knew that Flynn and the Captain were dating, had been for a while, whether they wanted to admit it or not. It was so obvious that it was laughable. He had figured that sooner or later it would come to something like this. Provenza wasn't _completely_ surprised, her highness did like the rules and all that, and Flynn could be an idiot where she was concerned, but bureaucratic nonsense? That was the shocker.

Sharon hummed. "Yes. It was a surprise to me as well." With that she turned on her heel and strode back into her office.

Andy rolled his eyes heavenward. He should have known that was coming. That was how your girlfriend got even with you for making decisions without her. She quite subtly, and very effectively, made sure that everyone knew it was _your_ decision. Good god but she was wicked, and damned if he didn't love that about her. Andy pushed off the edge of his desk and stood. "Look, whatever my reasons, it's done. Not like I won't be seeing any of you again. I'll be two floors down. You won't even miss me."

They'd grown silent again. It was Julio that spoke up first. "I doubt that's true, Sir." He leaned forward against his desk, weight on his elbows. "It's good, Lieutenant. We get it."

"Congratulations," Amy said. "I'm sure it will be wonderful."

"You're screwed." Mike stood up to shake his hand. "All that paperwork?" He grinned. "Good luck."

"Yeah," Andy muttered. "Thanks."

"Don't look at me." Provenza sat back down behind his desk when all eyes turned to him. "I still think he's an idiot." He waited a beat. "An idiot who is buying everyone's drinks tonight, but an idiot just the same."

"Gee," Andy deadpanned, "I can't tell you how much your support means to me." He looked at Julio and rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever, I'll buy your damned drinks. Just like I always do." He moved back behind his desk and reclaimed his seat. "You too, Rusty." The kid was part of the team now, at least for the rest of the summer.

"Thanks, Lieutenant…" Rusty looked over, but quickly turned his attention back to the cases he was sorting. "But uh, I have plans tonight. So… maybe next time?"

"Yeah, sure." Andy flipped the page of a file he was working on. "With Brad?" He smirked a bit to himself. He'd had an interesting phone call with Nicole the previous day. He looked up and across the room at Rusty. The kid was staring at him, mouth slightly agape. "Your agreement was with your mother. Just remember kid, what goes around, comes around."

Suddenly all of the attention in the room was on Rusty. Buzz had his arms folded across his chest and Julio had slid over in his chair. "Who is Brad?" The question was asked by the former.

"Yeah." Julio arched a brow at him. "When do we get to meet this guy? I have some questions…"

"Julio." Provenza shook a finger at him. "Now, just wait a minute…" He paused. "I'll give you a list; there are a few things I want to know too…"

"I think I might be interested in meeting Brad too," Amy chirped.

"Oh my god!" Rusty pushed his hands into his hair while his face turned red.

"Well played," Mike observed. From his desk, he shot an appreciative look at Flynn. "The best way to teach teenagers not to interfere, get even." He turned back to his desk with a grin.

"Yeah." Andy grinned. "I thought that might work. We'll see…" He turned his attention back to the file on his desk while the others worked on trying to get information out of Rusty about his boyfriend.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

They went to _Alberto's_ after their shift ended. It was a cantina a few blocks away from the old Parker Center that the team liked to visit for celebratory occasions, or to otherwise share a meal. The place had started out as just a hole in the wall that had the best enchiladas and the hottest salsa, but its popularity had grown until it became necessary to expand the restaurant's location. It had lost some of the charm in the expansion, but it still had some of the best food in town and for those that were so inclined, the cantina also offered the best Margaritas that side of downtown.

The team was crowded around a tall table in the bar area while they waited for a table to be ready for a group their size. Already there was a pitcher of beer on the table and several margaritas had been ordered. Andy stood between Julio and Provenza, a glass of iced tea in his hand while the others enjoyed their drinks. Only the Captain and Rusty were missing; the latter had plans, and Andy wasn't sure if Sharon was going to join them. She had said that she would think about it, but there had been several files on her desk when the team, including himself, had left the murder room.

"Robbery Homicide?" Tao shook his head at him. "You know that we end up stealing most of their cases, right?"

"Less work for me." Andy grinned. "What? You thought I was looking for real advancement? Come on, Mike, you know me better than that."

"I think we all know why you transferred," Provenza drawled. He rolled his eyes at his partner. "Idiot."

Andy cut a look at him. "Don't," He warned.

"Guys never want to change," Julio observed, "unless there's a woman involved." He smirked. "Next thing we know, they're wearing new clothes, eating chick food, and getting new jobs."

Amy leaned around Buzz to arch a brow at him. "Chick food?"

"Yeah." Provenza snorted. "Healthy." Her eyes narrowed but he ignored her. "He was already doing that crap, Julio. We should've known it had nothing to do with his blood pressure. It was a woman."

"What was a woman?" Sharon's dulcet tones interrupted them as she joined the group. "I do hope that you're not insinuating that I am, in anyway, to blame for the fact that your partner is tired of you."

Andy snorted while the others laughed. He had felt a hand against his back a moment before she said anything. It remained between his shoulder blades as she squeezed in around the table. He looked down at her with a grin. "You made it."

"Well," her eyes glittered with amusement, "you were all so insistent. I decided that I would finish your time sheets later. You may or may not get paid on time, but I did get out of the office at a relatively decent hour."

"It's alright," Julio grinned. "The drinks are on Flynn tonight. We won't mind too much."

Sharon laughed. "As long as you have a contingency plan, I won't feel bad about it." Her hand moved down his back. In truth, she had been considering whether or not they were ready to be completely in the open with the others. It was rather a given that their personal relationship was the reason he was leaving the division, but confirming their suspicions was another matter entirely. In the end, she came to the conclusion that if they were going to seriously pursue anything, they had to be honest about it, with their friends as well as their families. For that reason, she leaned into his side, and reached out to slip the tea glass out of his hand.

"I'm going to mind." Andy dropped an arm around her shoulders and let it hang there. "If I don't get paid, you'll be feeding me," he warned. He arched a brow, and his dark eyes sparkled when she took over his tea. He raised his other hand to get the waitress's attention. It looked like they were going to need another, and whatever else Sharon would want to drink.

"Uh huh." Julio reached over and nudged Buzz's shoulder. "See, what did I say? A woman."

"You did." Buzz held out a hand to Amy. "Pay up."

Amy rolled her eyes at him, but she reached into her purse for the twenty that she now owed him. "You are unbelievable."

"I'm just earning back the money that I lost on you and Lieutenant Cooper," he told her.

"Hold up a minute." Julio looked between the two. "You guys actually put money on this?" He hooked a thumb at the Captain and Flynn. "Come on, it was so obvious."

"No," Buzz smirked. "I already knew about it. I said that she would come clean about it."

Amy sighed. She looked heavenward. "Thanks a lot, Captain."

"What? _Amy_!" Sharon's eyes were wide. "Your poor gambling choices are not my fault." She looked around the table. "Are these really the things you all talk about when I'm not around?"

"Oh no." Andy laughed. "If you had given it another five minutes, Julio would have been trying to piss me off." He kept his arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little closer. "He'd have been waxing poetic about your legs."

"What?" The detective looked nonplussed by being outed. "He always falls for it, ma'am. I can't help it if Flynn is completely predictable."

"Oh my god." Sharon turned her face into Andy's shoulder and hid it. "I should have stayed and finished the time sheets," she moaned.

"Maybe." Buzz was grinning. "But I'm not complaining." He folded the twenty in half and tapped Amy with it. "Never bet against the rulebook."

"You know what." Sharon reached across the table and took it out of his hand. "I'll take that. I have a feeling we're going to need a few more drinks, so it's going to be quite a tab." She shoved it into Andy's pocket. "If I'm going to be feeding him, I'm going to need it."

Mike shook his head while Buzz pouted. "Never admit to betting on the rulebook _in front_ of the rulebook."

"I have a question," Provenza interrupted. He leaned against the table and stared at the couple beside him. "Why _now_?" That was the only thing that he couldn't quite figure out. "You've been dating for a year," he pointed out, "and _now_ it's a problem?"

They looked at one another. Apparently they would never be able to convince any of the people that knew them that they had not spent all of that time _dating_. Not in the way that the others meant. Andy sighed. "You know, it just seemed like the right time to do it."

Sharon was silent. Her lips were pursed. When the Lieutenant looked at her, she shrugged. "He was driving me crazy. I can handle his feet on my coffee table," she said, and managed to keep a straight face and an even tone, "but it's those used teabags he keeps leaving in the break room. It was driving me batty. Something had to go. Since he's willing to do manual labor…"

Andy rolled his eyes at her. "You are horrible." He leaned down and kissed the side of her head. "Everyone here knows that those teabags are yours, so just don't even try it, woman."

Her jaw dropped. She poked his side. "They are not. You take that back." They hadn't yet figured out who the culprit was, but she was starting to think it might actually be Taylor.

The others watched them devolve into the banter that came so easily to them when they were away from their jobs. It was an amusing back and forth. Provenza rolled his eyes. "I should have seen this coming." He shook his head. "Throw in a little more snark and this was them five years ago. We should have known then that he was a goner."

"Oh." Julio smirked. "We knew. We just all agreed to not tell you." The Captain and Flynn had stopped and were looking at him. "What? It's true. Like I said, the legs thing, it works every time. He used to get mad because I was accusing him of actually looking, ma'am. Now he gets mad because he thinks that I am. Flynn is totally predictable."

"Just for the record," Sharon pointed out, for both of them, "you do understand how completely sexist that is, right?"

"We know." Andy grinned "They're just really nice le—" He stopped when she elbowed him. He rolled his eyes heavenward and said, much to the amusement of the others, "Yes dear."

"Hm." Sharon reached into his pocket for the twenty dollar bill. She tossed it back at Buzz. "On second thought, he can feed himself," she said, but didn't protest when he pulled her close again. Instead, her arm wound its way around his waist and she leaned more fully into his side.

Eventually, as she had expected that it would, the new wore off and the conversation drifted to other topics. Sharon ordered a glass of wine and noticed while they waited for their table that Andy had drifted behind her to what she was beginning to sense was his favorite place. He was talking to Provenza about that afternoon's baseball game while he stood with his hands on her shoulders and his chest pressed against her back. He had to reach around her for his glass, or the chips and salsa that the waitress had brought over for them while they waited, and each time he drew his hand back it would fall to rest against her waist, before eventually finding its way back to her shoulder.

They were being rather more demonstrative than she was used to, but it felt good to be able to be honest about the way that she felt. There were no more pretenses and there would be no more hiding. Their discretion at work would still be necessary, but here, they were just among friends; they were just surrounded by family.

After dinner and making sure that everyone who needed a ride home had one, Sharon let Andy put her in her car with the intention of going home. She made it only a few blocks away before turning around. She pointed her car toward Echo Park instead and drove the several miles out of her way that would take her to Andy's house. She thought of changing her mind several times during the drive, but there was nothing waiting for her at home but a lonely apartment. Rusty was out for the night, and she knew from experience that it would be several hours before he made it home.

There was also that kiss. The one that he had given her as she leaned against the side of her car while they said goodnight. She had intended to only leave him with a gentle goodbye, but while she was playing with his tie, his hands had gathered her hair back from her face. He tipped her face toward him and their mouths had hovered close, barely touching. His thumb traced the curve of her jaw, and then his lips had brushed hers. His tongue swept across her bottom lip in a teasing touch and then he had pulled away. He opened her car door for her and told her that he would see her in the morning.

She might have been a little dazed as he put her into the car. She was secure enough to admit that there was a certain sense of giddy anticipation that hovered in the air at the start of a new relationship. It was thrilling, the way that excitement tingled along nerve endings. The mind wandered, and the imagination was given wings to fly, and to dream. The future became bright and filled with colors and possibilities. They lived on earth, but there was nothing wrong with staring at the clouds. They deserved that much, didn't they? The opportunity to dream.

It emboldened her. She considered turning back, but did not hesitate in leaving her car again after parking it alongside his. Her steps were sure as they carried her across his walk and up the concrete steps that were attached to a narrow wooden porch. It stretched across the front of the old bungalow. It was only just wide enough for the porch swing that hung at the far end.

As Andy explained it, while the house was a little too big for just him, he had bought it in the early years of his sobriety because it gave him hope. It was something to work toward, that his children might someday occupy those rooms, at least part of the time. It was not a dream that was ever fully realized, but the idea of living in a small apartment had seemed depressing and far lonelier than the small, three bedroom home. There were the grandchildren now, Nicole's stepsons and any others that might come along one day. Those relationships had taken time to rebuild, but the house was there, and the dream had changed.

He was redoing the two guest rooms, painting and refurnishing. They stood empty now, which was how Sharon had found herself sleeping in his bed the night of her impromptu Martini Marathon with Gavin. He seemed like such a belligerent cynic, but he was as much a hopeful dreamer as anyone else that she knew. She loved that about him. He was such a tough guy, hot-tempered and sarcastic, but his smile could light a room. His laugh, thick and rumbling, could vibrate right through her, until she was left feeling warm and light, filled with the same sense of amusement. He wasn't known for his patience, but he had waited for her, and then he left her waiting for him while he took care to guard both of their hearts. He could be endlessly frustrating, entirely infuriating, but somehow he had managed to fill her thoughts and capture her heart. Now he filled her dreams with images of what tomorrow might look like.

She was living in the moment when she knocked on the door. It opened a minute later. His jacket was gone, and his tie was loosened but still in place. That told her that he was only just home, and must have been just a few minutes ahead of her. Sharon smiled at the surprise that lit his face. It lasted only a moment before warmth filled his gaze. She took a step forward at the same time that he reached for her. He stepped back and turned, and the moment that she was clear of it, the door was pushed closed again. Sharon's hands curled around his suspenders and she leaned into him fully as her face lifted toward his.

He turned with her as their mouths met and the wall was to her back. His hands settled against her waist and moved down to grip her hips. He pulled her against him. There was a fire and passion, and all reason was pushed aside for the moment. Her arms wound around his neck and she sought to pull him closer as she was caught up in the scent and taste of spice and man. She could only hold on through the onslaught; she shivered, and choked on a low moan when his mouth moved across her jaw to her neck. She arched her neck for him, and offered a low hum of approval when his teeth scraped across her pulse point. His arm curled around her waist and he lifted her flush against him while his tongue danced across the hollow of throat.

Her nails scoured the skin at the back of his neck as her hands moved to grip his head and draw his attention back to her mouth. She nipped impatiently at his lips and was glad for the solid presence of the wall when he pressed her into it, only to let his other hand slide up, over her ribcage until his thumb was skirting the underside of her breast. Her back arched and she pressed herself into his questing hand, and was unsure if the groan she swallowed was hers or his, or some mingled sound of desire. The heat of it moved through her, and she forgot her impatience as her head fell back. Her hands moved into his hair and she gripped his head while his mouth travelled along her neck again.

It was almost painful, but he let go of her. It was abrupt enough to leave both of their heads spinning, but Andy took a step back and put an arm's length between them. He took a ragged breath and ran a hand through his hair. His heart was beating rapidly but that was nothing compared to the heat that he was trying to push back down. When his tongue swept his lips, moistening them, he could still taste her. His jaw clenched, and although he was tempted to drag her forward, and his hands itched to touch her again, he stood still. "Sharon?"

He was watching her, dark eyes almost black. She leaned back against the wall, hands flat against it, and found her purchase in the cool plaster. Her eyes closed, for just a moment. It was only her name, thick and rasping, but filled with a thousand different questions. She drew a breath and pushed off the wall. She found his gaze again and held it. Sharon reached past him, and without looking away, she let her fingers find and flip the deadbolt. Then she stooped and picked up the purse that had been knocked from her shoulder in their initial greeting. It was only then that she walked away from him, and only so far as to drop the purse onto a chair in his living room. When she turned back, she found him standing behind her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his tall from. She scraped her teeth across her bottom lip and lifted her brows at him. "I didn't want to go home to an empty bed," she said thickly.

Andy took another step forward. His hand curled around her wrist. He drew her forward and let his arm slide around her waist again. His hand settled against her hip. He searched her eyes for a moment, and found none of the hesitation that he would have expected to see. "Then stay," he said simply. His hand slipped down to curl around her smaller one, and he pulled her with him when he turned.

The path to his bedroom was familiar. She moved with him, and as their fingers twined together, a smile curved her lips. Sharon moved into his side as they made the short walk down the hall. Her free hand curled around his arm and she leaned into him. Her lips were soft against his neck. This time when she woke up in his bed, she had every intention of remembering exactly how she had gotten there.

**-TBC-**


	5. Chapter 5

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

When he looked back over the course of his life there were moments that he could pick out with defining clarity that had changed who he was, and who he was going to become. There was the day that he had decided to go to the Police Academy, rather than follow the path of so many of his friends into a life of trouble and wasteful pursuits. The day he married Vicki was definitely one of those moments, followed by the births of each of their children, Nicole and Jason. There was the day that she had locked him out of their house, no longer able to put up with his drinking, his temper, or all of the time that he was spending away from their family. He wouldn't count the first time he went to an AA meeting, because months had passed before his life changed again; it was the day that he became serious about getting sober and staying that way, a day he had almost died. He had gotten hurt on the job, and stupidly chased the pain meds he was given with a glass of bourbon, so used to having a tumbler in his hand that he hadn't even given it a second thought. That was when he realized that he was dancing with the devil and the son of a bitch had come close to claiming him. He had gotten sober after that, and stayed that way, despite how hard it was.

Time didn't make it easier, exactly, but his resolve became stronger.

There were other moments for him, after that one. Definable, meaningful; there were graduations, births and deaths. Nicole's wedding, and the day that he had met his step-grandsons stuck out quite prominently in his recent memory. He had really come to adore those boys, and looked forward to each time he was able to see them.

The beginning of the summer had brought another change. Leaving Major Crimes behind wasn't easy, but with what he gained in return, he would say that it wasn't a hardship. The transition to Robbery Homicide was a little bit like slipping on an old pair of shoes; it was comfortable and familiar. Ellison was more than happy to start shoving the paperwork off onto him, and he started taking it on well before the man went out on his medical leave. It wasn't all that hard, and if anything, it made him look forward to getting into the field when he could. He also had to fight for some of their cases.

It became a game, very quickly, of whether or not one of his cases would end up being taken over by Major Crimes. It was Provenza, he knew, having his fun and doing a little bit of good-natured hazing by reminding him where his division now fell in the pecking order of things. There were some that he didn't mind handing over, but Flynn would work them up good, make them really try for it, and then he'd pass it along and be done with it. Very soon he realized that it wasn't only his former partner that was having a good time with their new divisional rivalry. Sharon was in on it too.

That was something else that had changed for him. They spent the summer getting to know one another on a new level as their relationship grew and strengthened. They were at his house more than they were at her apartment, and it wasn't hard to figure out why. She had Rusty there; and he had a relationship of his own. Mother and son were trying very hard to stay out of each other's way where their social activities were concerned. They were giving each other privacy and space; and although it might have seemed that they were spending an awful lot of time apart, it was bringing them closer. Rusty would actually talk to her about Brad now, and he was bringing the young man around more often. Brad had joined them for a couple of family outings, a picnic on the beach with Nicole's family and a barbecue at his place, a fact that had delighted Sharon to no end.

As for them, he thought that they were doing okay. They weren't together every night, and they didn't see each other every day, but they made the effort. Rusty teased them about _date night_, but as summer wore on, it became nothing at all for one of them to drift over to the other's residence whether they'd had a date or not; they had exchanged keys and were putting them to good use. More often than not, he'd get home and find Sharon waiting for him, and a couple of times she had woken him in the middle of the night climbing into his bed, too exhausted or emotionally drained after a hard case to do more than curl up beside him.

They tried not to bring their work home with them, but they still needed each other in that way that they had established long before their relationship moved to the level it was at currently. It was different, sliding into the arms of someone who understood, and could truly empathize with the darkness and the pain that their work contained. They had someone, too, to share the triumphs and the joys.

Loving Sharon was a foregone conclusion, but being with her, finally, was a change in his life for the better.

Another change came at the end of summer. It was late, and they were caught up in a rare summer rainstorm. That night would stand out for him for a long time as a turning point for them. Sharon woke him, not by using her key as she normally did and joining him in his bed. Instead, it had come with an insistent pounding on his door. He found her standing on the other side, drenched through from the rain, makeup ruined, and utterly inconsolable. For a moment he was terrified that something had happened to one of the kids, or one of the team. She had looked at him, and it occurred that he had seen her upset before, even sad, but he had never seen her broken. Not until that night.

When she spoke, her voice was raw and rasping, and it became apparent that she had been crying for some time.

"Jack's dead."

It startled him. He was relieved that it wasn't one of the kids or her team, but as he'd pulled her inside and wrapped her in a towel, he realized that she was still devastated. Andy supposed that should have upset him, but as he held her, he was reminded that she had come to _him_.

He got her cleaned up and dried off before getting the story out of her. Sharon had clothes at his house now, just as he kept a couple of spare suits at her place. Still, that didn't stop her from choosing one of his t-shirts and a pair of sweats that were far too big for her. Afterward, he wrapped her in a blanket, and held her on his sofa while she sipped at a cup of tea. Only then did he gently nudge her to fill in the gaps.

She was staring into her cup, unsure of where to begin. Her eyes ached; they felt dry and gritty. There was a throbbing behind them; it was the kind of physical pain that only came from such tremendous grief. "The hospital called earlier this evening," she said, speaking quietly. "He still had me listed as his emergency contact." She swallowed hard. Her throat felt raw. Sharon closed her eyes. "He had a heart attack. His secretary found him in his office. He was already gone, they never got him back." She rubbed a hand across her forehead and then swept her hair back from her face. It was only damp now, but curling wildly after being caught in the rain. "I don't…"

She was leaning against his chest. He had his arms wrapped around her. "I know." His lips brushed her ear when he spoke. "It's okay." It wasn't, not by a long shot, but she needed to know that he was there for her, and that he understood. She had been married to the man for thirty years, and while he had been out of her life more than he was in it, the fact remained… she had loved him. They had tried to build a life together; and they had children together. She had waited for him. She had fought for him. Until she had to face the reality that it didn't matter how much she loved him, or how long she waited, or how hard she fought for her husband or her marriage, he wasn't going to be the man or the father that his family needed him to be. She had moved on. Andy had no doubt that she loved _him_, but as much as Sharon believed in the need for and adherence to rules, she was not a woman that was hard wired to live in a world that was only black or white.

"I didn't think it would feel like this," she admitted softly. "I haven't called Ricky or Emily yet. I don't know how I'm supposed to tell them _this_. There's just so much that was left undone and unsaid between them and their father, and all that I can think about is that the last time they were here, I told them I was neutral. I put their relationship with him squarely on their shoulders, and now he's gone."

"They're adults," he reminded her. "No one could facilitate their relationship with Jack but them." He wound a curling lock of her hair around his finger and watched the light play off it. It shined in hues of brown and gold, and red. "Sharon…" He sighed. "You spent your entire adult life married to that man, or damned near close to it. He hurt you, and he disappointed you," Andy pointed out. "He also made you happy, and he loved you, and even if the bad outweighed the good, that's the part that you're hurting for right now. None of us got married thinking that it would be over in a few years. When it was good, it was damned good, and then it was over." He let go of her hair and wound his arm around her again. Andy settled his chin against her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

It was simple, but he meant it. He wasn't placating her, or attempting to lessen how she felt. Sharon leaned forward and placed her tea on the coffee table. Then she turned in his embrace and tucked herself against his chest. Her head settled in the crook of his neck and she sighed softly. "Andy, I love you," she whispered. She felt now, more than ever, that she needed to tell him that, even if the words had already been said between them prior to that moment.

"I know." He laid an arm across her legs. His hand stroked her thigh, while the other settled in her hair. He swept it back and let his fingers settle against the side of her neck. His thumb stroked a soft path from her ear to the collar of the t-shirt that she was wearing. He kissed the side of her head. "Sharon, I love you. I get it, okay? It's a hell of a thing. You moved on, but he was still in your life. You wouldn't be _you_ if you could turn your emotions on and off like a switch."

"I was so mad at him." She laid her hand on his arm and let it slide down to rest against his wrist. Her fingers toyed with the gold chain that he always wore. "I couldn't understand how he could still be so weak and unreliable after all this time. Or how he could be so clueless and arrogant."

"Addiction doesn't have reason or logic," he said. "It's an illness, it has to be treated." Andy shook his head. "He was working at it again. He was trying, it's just not a demon that's easy to fight."

"What do you mean?" Sharon stopped toying with the chain. She lifted her head and looked at him. Her brows rose. "Promising that he would do better, or be better, was always Jack's way of trying to get out of a bad situation, Andy. It's a road that I travelled with him so many times in the past. I'm sure he meant it when he told me that he would stop drinking again. He always meant it when he said it, but—"

"Sharon." His thumb traced the curve of her ear. Beneath her other hand, he turned his over and wrapped her fingers in his. "He was working on it." At the question in her eyes, he sighed. "He called me, a couple of days after the incident at your place. The last time Jack really worked in LA he burned a lot of bridges with his drinking and gambling, and not just the ones with you. Getting that job at Anderson and Cline never would've happened if he hadn't made the right connections this time around. People have short memories. He was gone long enough that people around here in our line of work really only associate the name Raydor with you. He managed to bank on it this time, but as many people that forgot what he was like back in the day, there were plenty that remembered. Most of them are either loyal to you or in a position to not want to cross you. He had to stay sober if it was going to work out for him, and especially after the divorce, he didn't have you to fall back on if he got in trouble financially." Andy shrugged. "Jack was worried that if he showed up at the wrong place, word might get around, so he was looking for a meeting. He knows my past; he thought I might be able to point him toward a place where the people wouldn't talk. Hell, we're all addicts, and the thing we're good at is manipulation. Especially manipulating each other. So yeah, he was working on it. I know, because his butt was in a seat every Thursday night. Whether he was there more often or not, I don't know, but I saw him when I went for my regular meetings."

She was left staring at him. Her mouth hung slightly ajar. Sharon shook her head and finally blinked. "I…" She didn't know what to say. Her gaze drifted while her mind worked at understanding what he'd told her. "You never said anything…" Sharon held up a hand the moment that the words left her mouth. "No, of course not." It was anonymous; that was the very reason that Jack had asked him for a trustworthy location. It was always supposed to be anonymous, but yes, people did talk. "It wasn't your place to say anything," she continued quietly. "If Jack had wanted me to know, he'd have told me himself. But he didn't…"

"No." He slipped his hand beneath her hair and stroked her neck. "He didn't tell you. That's how I know he meant it this time. We brag about getting sober, or trying to get sober, when we want to prove something. When we finally realize that the only thing we have to prove is that we can make it through the next five minutes without a drink, we stop talking about it. We're too busy _doing _it. You would have known when it was time. You'd have seen it."

She hummed thoughtfully. Sharon laid her head back against his shoulder and settled in his arms again. "It doesn't change that he's gone. Or that I have to tell our kids. I wish they were here…" It hurt, most of all, that she would need to do it over the phone. Especially with Emily who was so far away. Ricky, at least, could be home within just a few hours. Emily would be alone, and on the other side of the country. Sharon closed her eyes as she thought of her children, grown now, but still her babies.

Andy stroked her hair. It wasn't hard to figure out where her thoughts had gone. "Get on a plane," he told her. "Go to New York. Tell Emily where you can hold her, and then the two of you can come home via Palo Alto. Or go there first. You and Rick can fly out to tell Emily together." He liked that idea better, that Sharon would have someone with her on the trip. "Whether you tell them in the morning or sometime tomorrow afternoon, Jack will still be gone, Sharon. Take the time, go to them." He paused for a moment and then added, "I'll keep an eye on the kid."

The idea had occurred to her. She just didn't think it plausible. There was so much to do. She supposed that all of it could wait for a day. She would still need to call Jack's brother and notify him. Sharon glanced at her watch. The hour had grown much too late for that now. That was a call that she could make in the morning. She knew that Jack and Paul hadn't been especially close for some time, but his brother wasn't a hard man. Paul had just given up on Jack long before she had. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "Yes, I think I will." She snuggled into his chest, suddenly feeling incredibly exhausted. "Have I ever mentioned that you're wonderful?"

"I'm not especially." Andy combed his fingers through her hair and let his fingers massage her scalp. "There's just this lady, and I happen to really like her. Sometimes she's stubborn, and sometimes she's a little too hard on herself. She tries too hard, you know, thinks she has to take care of everyone. She forgets to take care of herself. That's where I come in. I take care of her, even when she doesn't want to let me."

"Is it?" Moisture stung her eyes again. She rubbed her cheek against his t-shirt covered chest and sighed. "Well, you're pretty great at it. Has she told you that?" She tipped her head back and looked up at him, emotion in her eyes, and a sad smile at her lips. "She's a fool if she hasn't."

"Oh, she's no fool." He placed a kiss against her brow and closed his arms around her. "Beautiful. Smart. Funny. Loved," he added, and let his lips touch hers, the kiss soft and lingering only for a moment. "Close your eyes," he told her. "We'll just sit here for a little while. In the morning we can take care of what we need to."

_We_. Sharon tucked her face against his neck. "No," she murmured. "I agree that we should rest. Not here." Although she was loath to move when he was so comfortable and she was finally feeling warm, Sharon sat up. She moved out of his arms and off of his lap. She held out a hand to pull him up. "You need a new sofa, this one will kill your back. Let's go to bed." Sharon didn't know that she would sleep, but she would very much like to continue being held. "Then yes," she said, "tomorrow we'll take care of the rest." Even if he couldn't go with her on this sad journey, he would be with her.

Andy pushed himself up from the sofa. He wrapped an arm around her as they turned toward the hall. She would have her hands full come morning, but tonight he could give her the quiet, even if he couldn't exactly offer peace. He tucked her into his bed, and so that Rusty wouldn't worry if he looked for her and found she wasn't working late, he sent the boy a text. He let him know that Sharon was with him, and not to worry. That usually went without saying, but he didn't think that Sharon would have had the forethought to tell Rusty where she was going tonight. Afterward, he joined her in the bed and folded her into his embrace again.

Sleep wasn't soon in coming, but she eventually drifted off. It was fitful and fraught with dreams and memories. She woke in the early hours, head aching from too little sleep, only to realize the harsh reality that the previous evening had not been a nightmare. Sharon found herself alone in the bed, but could hear the shower running.

She rolled from the bed and found, upon looking in the mirror, that she looked a mess. Her hair was a tangled and frizzing mess of curls, while her face was pale. Her eyes were puffy and bruised from fatigue and crying. She sighed as she rubbed a hand over her face. She was hardly the least bit attractive; and decided that she must be looking every one of her fifty-seven years. The sound and thought of a steaming shower, however, was beckoning to her. It wouldn't be the first time that she had joined him, and although she hated to admit it, she was feeling just a little bit needy that morning.

Sharon worried, though, that she was clinging to him because she was feeling adrift. She didn't want him to think that she was using him in her grief, even if she knew that his desire would be to comfort her. Rather than join him straight away, she attempted to refrain. She made her way to the kitchen and started coffee to brewing. Then she used the guest bathroom to wash her face and try to make herself feel human again.

It didn't exactly work. In the end, she walked back to the bedroom at the end of the hall and slipped out of her clothes. He was standing beneath the steaming spray when she joined him. His head was bent and she knew that he was letting it work out the kinks in his aching back. Sharon slipped into the shower behind him and let her hands settle against his back. She pressed close and let her lips move against the skin beneath his shoulder blades. When he turned, she moved into his arms and let her own wrap around him. She turned her face into his neck and they stood there, steam surrounding them, water beating down on them, and let the world fall away.

After several long minutes, and before the water could begin to cool, he turned with her. Sharon tipped her head back beneath the spray and let it wet her hair through. She smiled when she felt his hands move into the thick mass. Her eyes were closed, but she felt his lips when they touched hers. He turned her then, and his lips touched her shoulder. Then the scent of her shampoo reached her nose. She hummed when he began to massage it through her hair. She reached up to take over, but he swatted her hands away. She exhaled quietly and tilted her head toward him.

She truly did love that man, she thought. Without being asked he knew exactly what she needed and how to make her feel, if not better, at least as if she wasn't ghost walking through her life. After they had rinsed her hair, it was her turn. She pulled him around, so that his back was to her, and began working out the kinks in his tired muscles. She alternated the touch of her hands with the touch of her lips.

They didn't need sex to feel loved, or to feel wanted. They had reached a point in their lives where the simplicity of a touch, or a hug, or even just the act of being in each other's presence was enough. It was more than enough. Sometimes it was as easy as a text, or a phone call. It was lunch or a cup of coffee during the course of a busy day. It was date night, even when it was nothing more extravagant than going to a movie, or ordering pizza. It was getting her flowers for no reason at all, or a stop at his favorite bakery because she knew that he was having a rough day. It was remembering to pick up a gift for his grandson's birthday, because she knew that he hadn't forgotten, but rather he'd let himself get busy and time get away from him. It was the new, gleaming glass and sterling nameplate that she got for the desk in his new office. It was taking Rusty to get his car serviced, and teaching him how to not get cheated by the mechanic.

It was transferring to a new division, so that they could be together. It was taking on responsibilities that he never imagined himself capable of, and chaining himself to a desk when he would rather be beating the streets looking for the dirtbags of the world.

It was holding her while she cried over the loss of her ex-husband, and never once questioning that she loved _him_.

He wasn't perfect. God only knew how flawed he was. He was stubborn and short-tempered. He left wet towels on the floor and yelled at the television. He was an alcoholic with a past full of baggage. He was impatient and sarcastic. She was no walk in the park either, she knew. She was difficult to get along with at times. She had high expectations and an adherence to the rules that would temp the patience of a saint. She was just as stubborn, and knew that she made him crazy when she left her teacups sitting about.

Life was not idyllic. Neither were relationships. They had bad moods and they argued. They talked about it, and they made up again. There were people in her life that couldn't believe that she was taking a chance on him, given his past. There were people in his life that couldn't fathom what he saw in a cold creature like her.

They simply fit. Ricky had likened them to puzzle pieces; Andy with his rough edges, and Sharon with her need for order and control. It wasn't a matter of opposites attracting, but rather the fact that they offset one another. She smoothed out his rough edges and he brought chaos into the order. They were what each other needed.

Sharon reflected on that as she straightened her hair. She had dressed in the fitted blouse and jeans that she left the last time she stayed over. They had both taken to leaving items of clothing at each other's residences. His pinstripe suit, a favorite of hers, was hanging in her closet. Sharon managed a small smile. There was also a pair of ties, and his green shirt that she had taken in with her dry cleaning. He left a shaving kit on her vanity, and had taken over a shelf in her shower. Just as she had done in his, and added cosmetics and a hair straightener at some point in the past several weeks. She had a drawer, and knew that if she looked, she would find her lavender dress hanging in his closet.

They were blending their lives together so well. It shouldn't come as a surprise that they would share the bad with the good. That was exactly what they were doing. Which was why, after having only slept a few hours, Andy was making phone calls that she could have made herself. He'd called Provenza and given him the heads up. He'd called in, and told Taylor why neither of them would be in the office, although she would be submitting her leave request. He called Nicole and cancelled their weekend plans. He and Sharon had planned to take the boys, but given the circumstances, that could easily be postponed.

He walked past her while he was talking to his partner, and put a cup of coffee in front of her. He dropped a kiss to her mouth without breaking his stride, and somehow managed to get dressed between phone calls and during conversations. She didn't _need_ him to take care of her, and they both knew that. She was perfectly capable of doing it herself, but she had wanted him. When her heart was breaking and she was thinking of all of the pain that her children would be feeling, she had to reach out, and he was whom she had reached for. He got her through the night, and it wasn't the worst that she had to face, but he had given her what she needed to get through that too.

When Sharon finished getting ready for the day, she took her coffee and joined him in the kitchen. She found her phone, and smiled that he had plugged it into the charger for her. She made the calls that she needed to. She made sure that Rusty would be home that morning, put forth her leave request, and then she made flight arrangements. First she would go to Palo Alto, and then she and Ricky would fly to New York together. When that was done, she took her phone and stepped outside.

Andy had a moderately sized back yard that was in terrible need of landscaping, but there was a covered patio. She kept threatening to replant the whole thing, but had left it as yet untouched. It was quiet, though, and served her purpose for the sad task of calling her former brother-in-law. Paul didn't ask much in the way of questions. They had never been especially close. He could never understand why she kept trying with Jack, and she hadn't wanted his negativity around the kids. They had seen each other only when family responsibility dictated it.

Afterward, she stood and stared at the sky. It was a clear day. The previous evening's rainstorms had given way to a beautiful morning. It was bright, and not entirely clean, but the morning was relatively cool. It would warm as the sun rose, and they would find themselves surrounded by yet another sweltering Southern California summer day. It didn't feel like a beautiful day, but looks could be deceiving.

Sharon hummed when arms wrapped around her from behind. She settled back against him with a sigh. Her flight would be leaving before noon. The heat would not be a factor for her today. Sharon's eyes closed as she thought of her children again, and what lay before them. "I need to get home," she said softly. "I have to tell Rusty and throw together a bag."

"I know." His chin settled against her shoulder. His hands stroked gently up and down her arms. "Do you want me to come with you?" He could at least be with her while she told Rusty, and explained for him how it had come about. "I can drive you to the airport," he offered.

"I would like that." She turned in his arms and tipped her head back. Her lips brushed the tip of his chin. "I can tell Rusty, but I'll take the ride."

"You got it." He kissed the top of her head. "Come on, you can leave your car here. I'll grab the kid or one of the guys and we'll drop it off before you get back."

"Okay." She agreed, because it was one less thing to worry about, and because loving him was letting him take care of her, even when she could take care of herself.

She sought him out when she was hurting, and when she was happy. She looked for him when she was excited, and when she was amused. She wanted him when she was sad, and she wanted to share with him when she felt joy. He was her friend, and he was her lover, but he had also become her partner. Knowing that she had him to lean against was going to carry her through.

**-TBC-**


	6. Chapter 6

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

He was never especially fond of waiting, but Rusty didn't mind so much as he sat on a bench in the baggage claim area. He kept looking between his phone and the arrivals board. It said that the flight from New York was on time, but another glance at his phone read ten minutes past when he had expected it to land. He had been listening for the announcement too, but so far, there had been nothing.

He stood up occasionally to pace, not because he was impatient, but he was worried. He would feel a lot better when Sharon got home, even if she was bringing Ricky and Emily back with her. She had only been gone the one night, but it felt a lot longer than that. It was weird; they had been separated before, and for much longer than even that. He guessed that it was because he felt so bad. He knew that she was upset about Jack dying, and that she would have Ricky and Emily to take care of.

He was kind of worried about them too. He wasn't on the best terms with his other mom, but he didn't want anything bad to happen to her either. Just like he hadn't wanted anything bad to happen to Jack. It was all just so horrible and unexpected. It surprised him a little, the ache that he felt at the news. They hadn't exactly gotten along so great after Sharon filed for divorce, but Rusty thought that maybe they'd come to a new understanding with that whole drinking incident.

Rusty jumped when his phone vibrated in his hand. He looked down at it and felt a sense of relief sweep over him. It was Ricky. _We're here. Mom's phone died. _

The announcement came a minute later. Rusty got up and walked over to the arrivals board. He watched while it updated, and shifted a little impatiently now while he waited to find out which gate they would be arriving from. It took another five minutes for the board to completely update. Rusty began walking toward that gate before his phone vibrated again, this time with the same information from Ricky.

He arrived at the concourse exit just as they were stepping through it. Rusty rubbed his hands against his pants and let his gaze wander over each of them. Sharon looked tired, more tired than he had ever seen her looking before. Ricky didn't look so great either, but for once his hair wasn't sticking up at all ends. Emily was pale, he noticed, and it looked as if she might have been crying. They were each pulling a rolling carryon bag behind them. Rusty waited until Sharon stopped and looked around. He waved an arm to get her attention and then started toward them.

"Hey." He reached out to take her bag, but wasn't surprised when she pulled him into a hug. Rusty held on, because he thought maybe she needed it.

"Missed you." Sharon pulled back a moment later and cupped his chin. "Okay?"

"Yeah." The last thing that Rusty wanted was any of them worrying about him. "I'll take this." He took her bag and looked at the others. "Do we need to go pick anything up?" He gestured back toward the baggage claim.

"No," Ricky shook his head. "This is it. We didn't bring a lot." They hadn't packed for a vacation. Anything that they needed, they could buy while they were there.

"Okay then." Rusty took a step back. "Um… I've got your car," he told Sharon. "So, I guess…" He gestured lamely toward the exit.

"Yes." She shifted her purse on her shoulder. "Let's get out of here." It had been an exhausting and emotional couple of days, and traveling across country with little time in between each flight had not made it any better. She offered him a small smile and thought that he seemed to make a hasty retreat as they left the airport. Sharon waited for Emily to fall in step beside her and wrapped an arm around her girl's shoulders. "I know that none of us are hungry," she said, "but we should stop and pick something up anyway. We may change our minds later."

"It's fine," Emily said quietly. She was exhausted. She hadn't slept much the night before, and while she had tried to nap on the plane, she had always found sleeping on airplanes to be impossible.

"Something light, maybe," Ricky suggested. "Sandwiches or something." The thought of eating made him feel mildly sick, but he knew his mother would push until they did it.

"There's the bistro," Rusty suggested. "I could call it in, we can pick it up on the way."

"Oh honey, that's across town." Sharon shook her head. "It's a good idea, but I'd just like to get everyone home as soon as possible."

"Yeah, about that…" Rusty sighed. "We're not exactly going home." They left the airport and walked across to the parking garage.

"What do you mean?" Sharon's brows drew together in a frown. "Rusty, we're all very tired," she began. "I for one would like nothing more than a hot shower and my bed." It would be a while before she could sleep, though. There was still very much that needed to be done. Between flights and comforting her children, Sharon had been on the phone with her lawyer, Jack's office, and the funeral home. It seemed that he'd not only had her listed as his emergency contact, but he'd never removed her as the beneficiary on any of his benefits, through the law firm, or those he'd held prior to that. She needed to meet with some of those people in person, and determine how best to go about transferring everything to Rick and Emily, at least once they got past the funeral arrangements and service.

"I know." Rusty led them up to the second level of the garage and across two rows of cars before they reached Sharon's silver sedan. "You're going to get that, just not at home." He opened the trunk and stopped beside the car. "Um… okay so, here's the thing." He glanced at his siblings before he met Sharon's tired gaze again. "There's not a lot of space at the condo, and we kind of figured that you were going to want everyone staying together. So… we did some rearranging, at least for a couple of days."

Sharon's eyes narrowed. "_We_?" She shifted where she stood. Her lips pursed. "Who exactly is _we_, and what does this rearranging entail, exactly?"

Rusty sighed. He lifted Sharon's bag and placed it in the trunk, then he reached for Emily's. "Okay, so it's not so much _we_ as it is Andy. He got his guest rooms set up, and his place has a lot more space than yours, so he kinda said, and I agreed, that everyone would be more comfortable there. He's got a case right now, but I'm supposed to take you over there. He said that if it was still too crowded, he and I could camp out at the condo, and I'm good with that, Sharon. Really. I mean, I took the camp bed over this morning, so either way."

"Is that right?" Her voice hitched alarmingly. She shook her head and turned away while the boys finished putting their bags into the back of the car. Rusty had her keys and she didn't particularly feel like driving so she walked around to the passenger side. So Andy had made arrangements for them to stay at the house, as if it was little more than a matter of his shifting a few things around. The guest rooms had been empty, so he would have had to order the beds. She was only gone for a day, which meant he would have had help if he didn't wait for the delivery. They had planned to make it a camping adventure for the boys when they had them that weekend, with the air mattresses and sleeping bags, a temporary solution for kids young enough to think it fun. He was even offering to switch residences with her, at least for a few days, just so that she and her grieving children would be comfortable, and so that they could be together.

Sharon slipped into her car and closed her eyes. She had never been more desperate for her phone than she was at that moment. She reached into her purse for it and then searched the center console for the extra charger that she kept. She was impatient as she plugged it in and waited for it to charge enough so that she could use it. It didn't matter that she had spoken to him that morning, before getting on the plane. She wanted to hear his voice now. He hadn't mentioned any of this to her, probably because he didn't want her to worry that he was putting himself out for them. Now that she was home, it was just a matter of accepting his kindness or not.

He was taking care of her again. She really did love that man.

It was a little odd, that she could grieve for one man and completely adore another. She didn't want to think about that too closely; it would be far too confusing. It was better, she thought, just to accept it.

"Sharon, are you okay?" Rusty slipped into the driver's seat and studied her closely. "I mean, I can take you home. It's not a problem."

"No, Rusty, it's okay." She was still staring at her phone and the depressing red battery icon that indicated it was too far gone for use. "We can go to the house. It'll be cramped at the condo."

"So what," Emily leaned forward in the back seat. "We're not even going home now?"

"Nope." Ricky leaned back in the seat beside his sister and closed his eyes. "We're rooming with mom's boyfriend."

Emily looked at her brother and then glanced at her mother. She sighed as she leaned back. "Great." Her eyes closed. That meant not having to sleep on an air mattress or her mother's couch. She was all for convenience. Honestly, she didn't think that it mattered where they stayed. It wasn't a weekend getaway. "Dibs on the most comfortable bed."

"Dibs on _a bed_," Ricky snorted. "I don't even care if it's a couch right now."

"Use mine." Rusty passed his phone to Sharon. He smiled knowingly as hers continued to deny her access while it charged. "I'm supposed to let him know when we leave the airport anyway."

"Thank you." Sharon smiled gratefully as she took it. She knew that Rusty would have his contact information saved, but she dialed the number from memory. When he didn't answer, she felt a little disappointed. If he was busy, though, she knew that he wouldn't be able to. She left a message instead. "It's me, we're home. My phone is dead. If I don't answer, call one of the boys, but it should be charged soon." Sharon paused. She felt the ache in her throat intensify. "Or call your house line. I'll talk to you soon." She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she wasn't comfortable voicing it in front of the kids, not yet. It was readily apparent, and not as if they were hiding their relationship from any of their children, but it was the first time that she had ever been involved with a man that was not their father. All things considered, it wasn't the time to voice that particular emotion.

"So then," Rusty shrugged as he took his phone back from her. "The bistro is okay? We can get soup and sandwiches."

"Yes," she said. "The bistro will be fine, Rusty. Why don't you call it in, I think you know what everyone likes."

"Not quite." He glanced into the rearview mirror. "Emily?"

"Just get me whatever mom gets," She told him. "That will make it easier."

"You know what I want." Ricky didn't even open his eyes. He lived closer, which meant that he visited more often.

"Yeah." Rusty held his phone for a moment. He hesitated in making the call, or even starting the car. He turned in his seat and looked at both of them. "I'm… sorry," he said, "about your dad."

Ricky cracked his eyes open and looked at his brother. "Yeah." It was something that they were going to have to get used to hearing. Beside him, he heard Emily let go of a shaky sigh. "Thanks, little brother."

Emily didn't speak. She shook her head and reached forward to touch his arm. Then she turned her gaze out the window. It was going to be a long few days, she thought.

Sharon glanced across the interior of the car. She smiled at Rusty and reached out to lay her hand on his shoulder. She gave it a squeeze. "Let's go," she said quietly. After another moment, she withdrew. She turned her attention out the passenger window and let her mind drift. There was so very much that she needed to do. She couldn't remember ever having felt so tired.

She must have fallen asleep. The next thing that she became aware of was a hand gently shaking her shoulder. Sharon's eyes blinked open and she realized that the car was parked again, this time in the driveway in front of Andy's Echo Park bungalow. She reached up and covered the hand that had woken her. "Thank you, honey." She took a moment to reorient herself as Ricky pulled away from her and slid out of the backseat. Rusty had parked her car alongside his. That made sense, if Andy had decided that they would stay with him, there was no reason for him to have her car delivered back to the condo.

Every muscle in her body ached tiredly as she got out of the car. Sharon stood there for a moment and watched the boys as they took the bags out of the trunk. Her gaze was drawn to Emily. Her daughter was standing on the other side of the car, but it was not the house that drew her attention. She was staring at the neighborhood. "Emily?"

She turned slowly. The shades that she was wearing were pushed upward and into her hair. Emily tilted her head at her mother. "Do you even know where we are?"

Her brows lifted in surprise at the undercurrent in her daughter's voice. Emily sounded mildly accusing, but it was mixed with surprise and sadness. "Actually, I do." She pulled her purse onto her shoulder and walked around the car. "We're at the residence of a very nice man who has offered us the use of his home so that we won't feel cramped and uncomfortable at the apartment."

Emily knew that tone. It made all three of them stand just a little bit straighter. It warned her that she was treading on thin ice and that there was only so much that her mother would allow her to get away with, even now. "Mom, I didn't mean it like that. It's just…" She sighed. "It's a little weird, isn't it? How long has he lived here?"

Rusty looked confused. Ricky just rolled his eyes and explained, "We grew up like eight blocks from here." He smirked. "Actually, that stop sign down the road, I ran that when I was seventeen and got clipped. I had _borrowed _mom's car. After curfew." His dark eyes sparkled. "I was on my way home… might have been in a hurry."

"That's…" Rusty squinted at his brother. "Something that _you_ would do. So let me guess, you're still paying her back. That's why you have to cut your own hair. You can't afford to get someone else to do it."

"Funny!" Ricky reached out and gave his shoulder a light shove.

She ignored her brothers. Emily looked around again. "I guess when you said that we were headed out here, I didn't think that it would be _here_." Her mother had sold that house, after she left home, and after Ricky had gone away to college. When she came home on visits, she didn't usually think about the fact that she wasn't really coming _home_.

"Now who's obsessed with childhood junk," Ricky bumped her shoulder as he walked by with their bags. "Come on, let's get unpacked. Then we can take little brother and show him the spot where you crashed your bike." He tossed a grin at Rusty. "That smile, veneers…"

"Go ahead, make fun." Emily smirked at him. "It got me out of my braces a full six months early. I am not complaining. Remind me, who had to wear his braces for another year because he wouldn't wear the head gear…"

Ricky straightened. He dropped her bag and pointed a finger at her. His face had gone completely serious. "We swore we'd never speak of that again."

Rusty tossed Sharon her keys. "I thought I was the adopted one? You know that they're kind of weird right?"

"Hm." She hummed quietly as she caught the keys. She walked toward the house. "Yes. They are very weird. Oddly enough, they are mine. I distinctly recall having both of them." Los Angeles was a big place, but most of the neighborhoods that she frequented were not new. She was used to driving past places that held memories, both good and bad. She was perfectly aware that Andy lived near the same neighborhood where she had raised her children. Echo Park wasn't a bad little community, and thirty years ago, when she and Jack had bought that house, it had come at a price that they couldn't pass up. It had seemed like such a good place to raise a family. They had been right, even if she had done the raising alone. She had to swallow back the grief that those thoughts provoked. Instead, she concentrated on the fact that it was just another way in which she and Andy were so very alike.

"Sure." Emily turned and followed her mother. She dropped her shades back down over her eyes. "We can take Rusty there. We can also show him the place that Kristina Walling said you kiss like a fish." It didn't really help, the teasing and the joking, but it was what they did when they were together. It felt like what they were _supposed_ to do. If they just stopped, would they still be able to breathe? Would the world keep spinning? Or would they be swallowed up by a wave of grief?

Getting everyone inside and settled wasn't difficult. The boys were taking the larger of the two guest rooms and Emily had been perfectly content with the smaller. No one was especially hungry, but they had eaten. The sandwiches had tasted like sandpaper in Sharon's mouth, and the soup had seemed bitter, but she had eaten it and so had the others.

The house phone rang while Sharon was unpacking. It was not a task she particularly felt like doing, but she was procrastinating. She didn't want to call the lawyer again. Just thinking to herself that her phone was still charging was not enough; she had looked for a task to occupy her mind too. She smiled as she picked it up; Sharon didn't need to look at the caller ID to know who was encroaching on this little sanctuary of theirs.

"Hi." Her voice was soft. She walked over and closed the bedroom door. She wanted privacy when she spoke to him this time. She wanted to hear his voice, and not worry about what either of her children thought of her for taking comfort in that. Sharon moved back to the bed and sat down on the side that she had already come to think of as _hers_.

"Hey." Andy was in his office. The door was closed, but he only had a minute. He had wanted to call her back for a while now, but they were hip deep in an investigation. He knew that she would understand, but that hadn't stopped him from feeling bad for not checking on her sooner. "How are they?" He asked. He knew that Sharon would find a way to cope, it was what she did; the kids on the other hand, would be searching for reason and solace.

"Dazed." A smile curved her lips, sad though it was. Sharon sat back on the bed and drew her legs up. She toed out of her shoes and lay back, getting comfortable. "They're sad and confused, and not really sure that it's all real. Emily fell apart on me. She just spoke to him that morning." Sharon rubbed a hand across her forehead.

Andy heard the hitch in her voice. He sighed. "That's rough." He thought of Nicole. How many times did he talk to her during the course of a week, or even a day, and they never knew when it was going to be the last time, especially in his line of work. "How is she now?"

Sharon hummed. "Still trying to understand it. Jack was going to fly out in a few weeks. He had clients that he had to meet with. The trial was happening here, but they're bicoastal. He wanted to see her while he was in New York. Emily couldn't promise him more than a quick dinner, or maybe brunch. She was going to be in the middle of a show when he arrived. She was going to leave tickets for him at Will Call." Sharon closed her eyes. She felt a single tear work it's way down her cheek. "Now she feels guilty for not promising to do more."

"That's always how we feel," Andy reminded her. "We shoulda done more, or said more, or been more. She'll be okay. She was talking to him, and they were trying." He tapped his fingers against the surface of his desk. He stood beside it and glanced toward the bullpen outside his door. His guys were getting ready to go. He could feel time ticking away from him and wished that he had more of it. "Emily seems like she's a lot like you. Jack screwed up. That's not something we can deny, not even now. Emily was hurt, but she never completely gave up on him. She was still willing to try."

"Yes." She pulled his pillow over and wrapped an arm around it. Sharon held it against his chest. "Emily was always the one who worried that we were being too hard on him."

"Soft heart." Andy leaned a hip against the edge of his desk. "Like I said, takes after you."

Sharon chuckled quietly. "There are a lot of people that we know who would disagree with you. Quite stringently, actually."

Andy grunted. She was right, but they didn't know her like he did. "How's Rick?"

"Holding it together." She picked at the hem of the pillowcase. "He thinks that he has to be the strong one, take care of us. I'm not sure that he knows what to think. He was upset. He didn't fall apart the way Emily did, but he's grieving. Right now he's just more focused on trying to figure out how to take care of his sister and me. You know, the flight was already booked, but I didn't have to ask him to go to New York with me."

"He's a good boy. His mother raised him right." Andy stood up. One of his detectives had returned with a warrant that they were waiting for. He nodded and held up a finger. "The kids will be alright. They're going to get through this."

"Hm." She smiled again. "Yes, I think that they will. It's just going to be a difficult few days. It helps," she said, "having someone look out for all of us. Thank you. Emily and Ricky were appreciative too, although I know they'll tell you themselves. It's not just the tight fit at the condo, there would be phone calls and visitors, and they're not ready for that." Neither was she, although it went without saying. He had known that. "You didn't have to do this."

"Yeah." He looked at the floor and shrugged. "I know. I was going to have to furnish those rooms eventually. Look, don't worry about it. I was glad that I could give you guys a place to go. I could see one of the kids offering to stay at a hotel, and I knew that you would want them close. This way you don't have to worry about it. It's like I told Rusty; I can hang out at the condo if you all want to be alone, and hell, it doesn't look like I'm going to be around all that much anyway."

"No." She held the pillow closer. "I want you here. I'm not going to put you out of your house, Andy." She laid her cheek against it. She could smell him, and let it comfort her. "Come home when you get done. We'll be here."

"I will." He sighed. "Look, I've got to go. We've gotta serve a warrant and pick up a suspect. I'll probably be late. I know you're tired, Sharon," he could hear it in her voice. "Don't wait up for me."

"I won't." She rolled onto her side and hugged his pillow. "Don't let me keep you. Go to work, Lieutenant."

He grinned. "Yes ma'am. I'm leaving now." His gaze drifted out to the bullpen again. He waved and nodded. His guys would head out and he would join them.

"Good. Andy…" Her voice grew lighter, softer. "Be careful. I love you."

Standing in the middle of his office while his team was waiting for him to join them was no place to say it. He'd said it before, and he made sure that she knew how he felt about her. "Yeah," he said instead. "Me too. I'll get out of here as soon as I can."

After he hung up, Sharon dropped the phone onto the bed beside her. She wrapped both arms around the pillow and hugged it. She laid with her eyes closed and let herself rest, comforted for having spoken to him.

When Ricky looked in on her a few minutes later, she was sound asleep. He pulled the door closed again and withdrew quietly. He moved back down the hall and stepped into the second guest room, where Emily was sitting on the bed. She had her knees drawn to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them. Ricky walked in and plopped down on the bed. "Mom's out." He wasn't surprised. Their flight had gotten into New York late, and they had gone straight to Emily's apartment. The three of them hadn't done more than nap before going back to the airport that morning. "We should call Uncle Paul and ask him how he wants to do this. Mom shouldn't have to do everything, Emily."

She lifted her head from where it was resting against her knees. Emily sighed. "Do you think Uncle Paul is going to want to help? When is the last time we saw him?" She shook her head. "Mom was still dad's beneficiary on everything, Ricky. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know." He frowned at her. "We should do _something_. They were divorced Em. Mom was moving on with her life. Is it really fair that she has to do this? Just because dad was in too much denial to change things doesn't mean she should be stuck with having to bury him."

"He wasn't in denial." Emily stretched her legs out in front of her. She sighed. "He still loved her. There's a difference." She frowned, because she didn't want to think that her father still loving her mother was not the way that it was supposed to be. "I don't want to call Uncle Paul. If he doesn't want to help, then we shouldn't make him. We can't make people do the things that they should," she said quietly.

"Yeah." Ricky stared at his sister. "Like being a good enough husband that you don't get divorced. Em, don't romanticize it. He left us. She waited until she didn't want to wait anymore. That divorce was a long time coming."

"I know." Emily closed her eyes. She sighed again. "I just feel so bad. He was all alone, Ricky."

"Yeah." He turned on the bed and scooted up to sit beside her against the headboard, their shoulders touching. "That's the choice he made. It sucks. There's nothing that we can do about it now. Emily." He looked at his sister.

"Hm." She laid her head against his shoulder. "Dad's dead." Her eyes closed again. "You're right. We should do what we can. I don't know what that is, but I guess we can figure it out."

"Mom's phone is still on the charger in the other room. We can get the number for the lawyer and start there," he said. "We can call the funeral home and set up the appointment to go… talk about things."

"Okay," Emily said softly. "Let's do that. Right now, we should let mom sleep. She's exhausted." She didn't want to do any of this but he was right. It was their father, and their parents were divorced. They were adults now. They couldn't expect their mother to do everything all of the time.

They were all exhausted, Ricky thought, but agreed that they should let their mother sleep. "I'll go get the phone and my laptop." They might not get very much done, he wasn't sure what they could accomplish or if their names were on anything, but at least they would be trying. Ricky sat there for another moment before finally forcing himself to move. He stopped at the door and looked back. "Hey, Emily?"

Her eyes lifted. She tilted her head at him. "Yeah?"

"She's got clothes in his closet." He shrugged at his sister. "Mom really was moving on."

Emily rolled her eyes at her brother. He was such a boy sometimes. "Ricky, he let his girlfriend and her kids take over his house while he's at work because her ex-husband died. I think we're a little bit past _moving on_." She smiled sadly, because despite how hard it was, and how much it hurt, and the fantasy that she'd had in her head of what her family might some day look like, it wasn't a _bad_ thing. Their mother was loved, and not by the absent husband who was holding on to the past and unable to face his mistakes. There was a man who was willing to take care of her, and them, even when it had absolutely nothing to do with him.

"Yeah." He picked at the doorframe. "I think so too." Ricky shrugged. He didn't object, but it was a little weird. He liked the guy. "It's good," he decided. "I'm glad she's not alone."

"Me too," Emily said. She leaned forward and drew her knees up again. "Ricky, go get the phone and stuff. Let's try to get this done. I know it sounds horrible, but I want to go to sleep and not think about it for a while."

It didn't sound horrible at all. He wanted to do the same thing. It just wasn't going to be possible, not yet. Ricky nodded as he left the room. He found Rusty in the kitchen. Somehow, he wasn't surprised when his brother followed him back to Emily's room. The three of them sat on the bed, grouped around their mother's phone and both of the boys' computers. They might not be able to accomplish much, but they were going to try, and they were going to do it together.

**-TBC-**


	7. Chapter 7

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

**A/N:** Heed the rating... this chapter contains adult content.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The house was dark when he got home. Andy expected as much, given the late hour. They'd left the porch light on, and he flipped that off as he locked the door behind him. He moved quietly through the house, but heard no sounds of movement from any of the rooms. In his room at the back of the house, Andy found that Sharon had left the small lamp on the dresser on for him. It only barely illuminated the room, and only just enough that he could see his way from the door to the attached bathroom.

She was lying on her side, wrapped in a blanket. Andy was loath to wake her. He walked carefully through the room and closed himself up in the bathroom before turning on the light. Andy shrugged out of his suit and started the shower. He wanted to get this day off of him before he fell into bed beside her. It had been a long one, difficult, but not altogether horrible.

He waited for the water to heat and steam to fill the bathroom before he stepped into the shower. Then he let the water beat down on him. The heat felt good against his tired shoulders. Andy braced a hand against the wall of the shower and bent his head so that the water could flow over his stiff neck and shoulders. He had spent most of the day worried about Sharon and her kids, but was able to relax some after speaking to her. He knew that she would be okay, but he still ached for her. He ached for all of them and the grief that they were feeling.

It made him think about his own life and the mistakes that he had made. He was even more grateful for the second chances that he had been given, even if he had worked hard for them, and was still working to prove himself to his kids. It made him want to try harder. They didn't know when it would end, and he didn't want to leave his kids wondering about what might have been.

A hand between his shoulders made him straighten and turn. Sharon was leaning against the open shower door. "Hey," he said quietly. "Did I wake you?"

"No." She had woken sometime in the night to find the kids asleep. Sharon had changed into one of his t-shirts at that point and laid back down in his bed to wait for him. She must have dozed off again, she realized. She swept the t-shirt over her head and stepped into the shower with him. "I was waiting up," she said, and let her arms slide around him.

"Oh yeah?" His hands moved into her hair and tipped her head back. "I thought I told you not to do that?" Andy lowered his head and kissed her bottom lip when it jutted out. "Yeah, you're busted baby."

She pinched his side for calling her that, but tipped her face toward him. She slid one of her arms up and around his neck. Her hand moved into his hair as she angled her mouth beneath his. She had wanted him to hold her and hadn't realized how much until he had his arms around her again. Now she was filled with emotion. Her chest ached with it. Moisture stung at her eyes. When she was awake she had to think of all the things that needed to be done. She was assaulted with memories and thoughts, and reminders of all the hopes and dreams that had never been realized.

There was a throbbing in her chest. As it threatened to consume her, Sharon pressed herself closer to him. Water rained down on them from the shower. She could taste it on his lips as hers moved against them, seeking and insistent. She wanted to feel, but not the weight of this sadness. She wanted to chase it away, just for a few hours more, and while her children were asleep she could let herself pretend that there was nothing else in the world but this. The heat and the steam, and the taste of him as her tongue swept across his lips and teased at the roof of his mouth.

There was a hint of desperation in the sound of her moan as it filled the glass-encased shower. His arms wrapped around her. He pulled her close and felt fire lick at his belly at the feel of her softness against him. Andy lifted his head and studied her face. Her eyes glistened, shining brighter, even in the dim lighting of the shower. He watched her tug her bottom lip between her teeth and knew that she was trying to stop it from trembling. There was a need in her eyes that went deeper than desire. There was sadness and regret, and resignation at all of the things that she couldn't change or fix.

She was clinging to him, and there was a question in her gaze too. She wanted him, and she wanted a respite from the pain. She needed to feel alive and whole, and to know that she had an anchor in this firestorm of emotion; that there was someone to pull her back or push her over, some way in which to keep her from being lost as its current pulled her along.

He pushed a hand into her hair and pulled her back to him. His mouth covered hers, and they became a tangle of lips and tongue as he gave in to the request; so simple and so necessary in that moment. She moaned again, and the sound was just a bit haunting in that small space. Andy reached behind him and turned off the shower. He pushed the door open and wrapped his arm around her. He maneuvered both of them out of it. The shower was no place for what she wanted, or what she was craving.

The cool air hit their skin, but went unnoticed as he backed her up, moved her across the bathroom. He stopped at the vanity and lifted her onto it. The granite was cool against her skin, and the hard edge bit into her thighs. One of her hands reached out, and she pressed it against the wall beside them for balance. The other was buried in his hair. Her head fell back. Sharon let out a ragged sigh as his mouth moved over her neck, chasing the water drops that fell from her hair.

One hand gripped her hip, and the other moved up her side. He palmed her breast, felt the weight of it fill his hand. He lifted it; let his fingers tease the soft skin. He rolled the nipple between forefinger and thumb and closed his mouth over hers again to swallow the sound of her delight. The hand at her hip moved; his fingers skirted across her thigh as he lifted it and urged her to wrap the long limb around him. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and teased it while his hands teased her nipples into hardened nubs and drew gasps of pleasure from her.

When he tried to explore the graceful column of her neck and her hair got in his way, Andy lifted his hand to gather it back. He pulled her head back and let his tongue trace the skin from her ear to her shoulder, where her pulse was beating a rapid rhythm. His teeth nipped at her skin, leaving it red and drawing a keening sound from her before his tongue soothed the area. His tongue sought the drops of water that had pooled in the hollow of her throat. She moved impatiently, rolled her hips toward him. He felt the brush of her inner thigh against him and bit back a groan. He ached to fill her, but she had been seeking oblivion, and he was going to give her that first.

He settled his hand against her hip again and let his fingers slide along the inside of her thigh. He felt the moist heat before he touched her. He drew a low, throaty moan from her when his fingers traced her aroused sex, barely touching her at all. She moved against him again, and while his mouth swallowed her cries of need and impatience, he wrapped an arm around her waist and bent her backward on the vanity. He felt her folds part as his fingers stroked her, arousal evident in the swollen and slick warmth that surrounded them. He placed the heel of his hand against her sex and let the impatient movements of her hips guide him. As they lifted and rolled toward him, he slid two fingers into her, easily filling her heat and drawing a shudder from her body.

She pleasured herself against his hand while his teeth nipped at her ear. He spoke, voice low, rumbling and almost unheard against the sound of their ragged breaths as he guided her into taking what she needed. It was that, as much as the feel of him, which had her hands gripping the edge of the vanity. Eyes closed and mouth open, she let her head fall back and her back bow as she rolled her hips toward him, again and again, in a frenzied pattern. She felt herself plateau, and cried out in frustration at the release that was just out of reach.

He felt it in the tremble of her thighs and the way her breath caught and held. That was when he lifted her. He pulled her down off the vanity and turned her. He bent her forward, one hand braced against the cool granite and the other flat against her stomach as he leaned over her. He filled her then, drove himself into her heat and felt her stretch around him. They both cried out. Andy felt her hand cover his on the vanity, felt the bite of her nails against his skin.

He drove into again and set his pace, hard and fast. When her head turned toward him their mouths met again. His hand moved low across her belly. His other hand moved to her hip, holding her in place as he thrust into her. His fingers stroked her, quick and sure, until she was bent forward and holding on, riding out a wave of pleasure that made her tremble in his arms. There was a sound, close to a choked sob, as she crested a wave of relief and release. She was still contracting around him as he gripped both her hips and moved, hard and fast, until he found his own release.

They collapsed forward, still joined as they leaned against the vanity. His arms wrapped around her. His forehead rested against her shoulder, while hers lay against the cool granite. They were both struggling for air, bodies trembling, muscles aching. She could feel the pounding of his heart against her back.

They stayed like that until she shivered. Long minutes passed as their bodies became aware of the cooling air in the bathroom. His back ached when he straightened. Andy took a step back and pulled her with him. He drew her around to face him and dropped his head. He tasted the salt of her tears when their lips met.

It had given her the push she needed to unlock the tight hold she'd had on all of her emotions. She leaned in to him and tucked her face into his neck. She shuddered. This time she didn't feel strange or even guilty for crying for one man while held by another. She let herself feel it. She knew that he would catch her. She was alive. She was protected. With him, she was whole.

Andy drew her back to the shower with him. He let the water be a balm to both of them. He washed her hair and cleansed her body, and after she had returned the favor, he wrapped her in a towel and took her to his bed. In deference to her children, sleeping just down the hall, they both dressed; her in one of his t-shirts, and he in a pair of sweats. He tucked her against him. They lay with her back to his chest.

Sharon had slept most of the evening and night away already. She did little more than doze while she lay in his arms. Her mind didn't drift, though. She let her thoughts go no farther than how good he felt, and how warm she was, and how blessed she was, to be loved so well.

He woke to an empty bed. Andy's alarm had gone off at its usual time, but as he lifted his head and stretched, he realized that he was alone. He glanced toward the bathroom and found the light off, and the door open. He rolled from the bed and sat on the edge of it for a few minutes. He scrubbed his hands over his face before reaching up to rub at his stiff neck.

After finally leaving the bed he located a t-shirt and pulled it on before he made his way down the hall. He located Sharon in the smells coming from his kitchen before he even made it as far as the living room. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee reached his nose first. He followed it and found her standing at his stove. She was still wearing the old, gray LAPD t-shirt she had worn to bed the night before, but a pair of yoga pants covered her legs.

Andy stopped to pour a cup of coffee from the half empty carafe before he joined her at the stove. He looped an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. From the looks of it, she had been up for a while. She had made waffles and was working on the eggs and bacon that would join them. He had sent Rusty grocery shopping when he made the decision that they should stay with him. He didn't eat meat, they did, and there were a few other things he intended to stock up on to get them through the days ahead. He had Rusty pick up Sharon's favorite tea and extra coffee, and the pretzels that Sharon had once told him that Emily snacked on when she was nervous or upset.

"Did you sleep at all?" He asked, and let his chin rest against her shoulder while she stirred the eggs.

"A little." She leaned back against him with a smile. "I'm afraid I slept a bit too much yesterday. It's okay." She lay her arm over his and let her fingers circle his wrist. "I wanted to get an early start today. I have to pick up copies of Jack's will and insurance forms and give those to my lawyer who will start the probate process. In the meantime, it seems the kids made a little progress of their own yesterday evening. We've got an appointment with the funeral home later this morning." They'd left a note with her phone, along with a sheaf of papers that the funeral home had faxed over. Ricky and Emily had filled out as much as they could. She would complete the rest after consulting Jack's will with her lawyer.

"I wish I didn't have to go back in." His lips touched her shoulder. "I've got to sit my guy down in front of a DDA today and figure out how to get him to talk. I asked for Hobbs, but Provenza snatched her up before I could get her." He sighed. "I'll probably get that idiot Michaels. Or worse." He made a face. "Rios."

Sharon chuckled quietly at his grumbling tone. "I'm sorry, honey." She rubbed his arm. "I wish I could help, but I'm afraid that I am… a bit biased in this situation." She turned her head and slanted a look at him. "I'd rather have Andrea too."

Andy's nose wrinkled. "Of course you would. DDA snob." He turned his face into her neck. He nosed her hair aside and placed a kiss beneath her ear. "Will you be okay today?

It wasn't only her that he was asking about. Sharon leaned her head against his and hummed. "Yes. It will be difficult but I think we'll be fine. Do you think that you'll make it home in time for dinner?" Emily and Ricky had done little more than pick at their dinners the evening before. She would make both of their favorites tonight. They may not be hungry, but she would find a way to get them to eat. She thought that comfort food might do the trick.

"I'll be here." He wondered if she realized how that sounded and pushed it aside. Andy kissed the side of her head again. "One of the benefits of being in charge. I'll delegate. Learned from the best."

She rubbed his arm again. "Good." A smile curved her lips upward. "I'm glad you were paying attention to all my hard work."

"Who said I learned it from you?" Andy smirked. "I was talking about Provenza. Man delegates like a champ!"

Sharon snorted quietly. She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth and nodded as she laughed. She could not disagree with him. He was absolutely correct. The Lieutenant could delegate his tasks better than any one person Sharon had ever met before. "We could all learn something from him," she managed.

"Learn something from who?" Ricky shuffled into the kitchen. He yawned as he walked over to the coffee pot. From the corner of his eye he watched them let go of each other and the Lieutenant step away. He shook his head. "Because that's not awkward at all." He filled his cup and searched for cream and sugar. When he'd found them, Ricky added generous amounts of both to his coffee. He cradled the cup in his hands and leaned against the counter while he sipped. He crossed his ankles and studied his mother and her boyfriend. "So… what are your intentions?"

Sharon turned and pointed the wooden spoon in her hand at her son. She glared at him over the top of her glasses. "Richard William—"

"Oh come on!" He pouted. "If I can't do it, who can?" Ricky wanted to sulk but saw that it was having no effect on her. He rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll behave."

Andy shook his head at the young man. "Hey Ricky." He stepped forward and held out a hand. "How are you doing?"

There was a certain amount of scrutiny in his dark gaze. Ricky knew that he was being sized up; in the same way his mother did when she was checking up on him. He fought the urge to roll his eyes again, but gave the other man a small smile. "I'm okay, Andy." He shook the man's hand before stepping back again. "Thank you, for all of this," he said, and gestured with the hand that held his cup. "Rusty and I ran over to the condo last night to pick up some things, and you're right, it would have been cramped. Not to mention there were a dozen messages waiting, and oh god, the flowers. They were all out in the hall, the building manager didn't know what else to do with them. Rusty and I moved them inside, Mom." Ricky shrugged. "I told him that if anymore arrived, just to keep the cards and donate the flowers."

"That's perfect," Sharon nodded. "Thank you honey. I didn't know that you and Rusty had gone out last night?" She tilted her head at her son, but had to glance away to move the eggs from the stove to a waiting bowl.

"I'm not surprised. You went down hard, mom. I don't think you moved at all. Rusty and I grabbed some more things for you. You've got a bag in the living room. We also picked up the stuff that Emily and I left behind at Christmas." Extra toiletries and a few casual outfits, they both always seemed to forget something when they visited.

"It seems that you were all very busy yesterday." Sharon removed the bacon onto a platter and then carried it and the eggs over to the table. "I found your notes. You didn't have to do all that," she told him, but appreciated it anyway.

Ricky studied her for a moment. "I think we kind of did," he said finally. "You don't always have to take care of everything, mom. You don't always have to take care of us."

She hummed quietly. "I disagree." Sharon gave his arm a squeeze as she passed him. "Thank you, but I like taking care of you."

"We know." He smiled indulgently at her. "On this one, we kind of have you covered too. You're just going to have to deal with it. He was our dad."

"Yes," Sharon said. "But he was my…" She stopped. She stared at her son and his knowing look as she realized what he was trying to say. They had divorced. She was no longer responsible for Jack, and she had shut the door on that part of her life. Her mouth closed and she sighed quietly. She had moved on, and her children were recognizing that fact. They were picking up some of the burden and sharing it with her. She pulled Ricky to her and wrapped him in a hug. "You are adored every day, do you know that?"

"Yeah." He held her and was struck by how small she seemed. "I know." Ricky knew that she would still be part of this process. She would handle it for them as much as they would let her, but it was time for them to do a lot of the heavy lifting where their father was concerned. It was how they would find closure in both the failure of their parents' marriage and the loss of their father. "You get to be happy," he whispered.

"I am." She gripped his chin. "I'm sad too, Ricky." She wondered when her boy had gotten to be so grown up. "Even when the people that you love fail you, or hurt you, and especially when they disappoint you, you don't stop loving them. You learn to be more careful, and more guarded, certainly. Sometimes you have to walk away from them completely to protect yourself and those that you hold dearest. I have good memories and bad, Ricky. We had good years too, honey. I am happy." Her gaze drifted toward Andy and her smile softened. "But I'm sad, for you and for Emily, and for me too. Your father wasn't a bad man. He was just a very flawed one. There was a good man in all of it, and I think he was learning how to find him again. It saddens me that he never will."

Ricky looked surprised. He glanced at Andy before looking down at his mother again. "You still loved him." He wasn't sure that he had believed that before.

"Yes." Sharon smiled at him. There was room enough in her heart for all of the people that mattered to her. She might have been angry and disappointed, and he may have hurt her time and again, but Sharon knew that she had hurt him too. "He gave me you," she said quietly. "Of course I loved him. He was still family, Ricky. I just…. I wasn't _in love_ with him anymore, and I didn't want him to be an active part of my life. Not while he was spiraling out of control. I always hoped that we would reach a place where we would be close again." As she spoke, tears filled her eyes. "I met your father when I was just a girl. He was the first boy that I ever loved. You don't forget about that." She shrugged. "My dreams changed. I met someone else that I want to grow old with, and I wanted that for your father too."

"You're pretty awesome," he said. "Did you know that?" Ricky shook his head at his mother. "I don't know that I could do that, break up with someone who was as awful to me as dad was to you and still want the best for them. Where did you come from?"

"They broke the mold," Andy said quietly. He had been studying the contents of his cup. Now he lifted his gaze to look at the woman who had captured so much of his heart and his life. There wasn't another like her, of that he was certain. He would always be thankful for having her in his life, no matter the outcome of their life together.

Her words vibrated right through him. _She had found someone to grow old with._ That was what he wanted too; he just hadn't given voice to it yet, not even to himself. They'd had lives and marriages, and children, all of it spent apart. Now, god willing, he would raise his grandchildren with her. He caught her gaze, and in her eyes he saw the same desire for that shared future. Andy lowered his gaze again and smiled as he lifted his coffee cup to his lips. They would get there. First they would get through this. She would always be worth waiting for.

Ricky felt the air in the room shift. Suddenly it was as if he were outside and looking in. It was heated and electric, but filled with warmth and promise. His brows rose and he felt a moment of further surprise. So this was what Rusty meant when he said they could have whole conversations in a single look. He felt like he had just seen something important, but he quickly lowered his gaze. Just as soon as it began, however, it was over. His mother's attention was back on him. The sadness in her gaze had not diminished in the least. One was not made less by the other. Her burden was just being shared, and by more than just her children. He hugged his mother again. "I'm going to go wake the other two. It's going to be a busy day."

"Yes it is." She held on to him for a moment longer than was probably necessary. Sharon sighed when he pulled away from her. She watched Ricky leave the kitchen and shook her head. "They're all grown up now." She turned where she stood and smiled at her lover. "When did that happen?"

"I keep asking myself the same thing." Andy shrugged. "I think we blinked. The next thing I knew, mine was married, and there were kids. It's rough. You'll be okay," he told her. Andy pushed away from the counter and walked over to join her near the table. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. His lips touched the top of her head. "You'll all be okay," he promised quietly. They would both make sure of that.

"Hm." She hummed quietly. Her arms wrapped around his middle. She leaned into him and tipped her head back. "Yes, I think we will. Have I thanked you?"

His brows lifted. "For what?" A curious look crossed his face.

"Loving me," she said simply.

"Yeah," he said gruffly. "I think you did." A kiss was placed at the corner of her mouth. "Every time that you show me that you love me right back. So I think we've both got it covered."

"Good." Sharon leaned in to him. She had not been looking for this, and she had not expected it. It gave her hope, though, that no matter the difficulties that they faced, or the hardships, they were not too old to find peace, or joy, or to fall in love… for the last time.

**-TBC-**


	8. Chapter 8

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

The days and weeks following Jack's death were busy and filled with activity. Even after his funeral there was still a lot remaining that needed to be taken care of in regard to his estate. He had left everything to Sharon, and although it was not a large sum, it covered his lingering debts and the funeral services. Once the financial aspects of his death had been seen to, she split the rest of it into trusts for Emily and Ricky.

Her children had remained in Los Angeles for a week following their father's death. Soon, though, life had to go on. They returned to their homes and their jobs, and the healing continued as they moved on with their lives. Sharon hated to see them go, and she checked on them often in the beginning, but it was soon made apparent that they didn't need her hovering.

They were not the only ones with lives to get back to. Sharon had a son still living at home who was still learning to find his way in life. She had a job that was demanding, and that she often loathed as much as she loved. She also had a relationship with a man that she adored, and whom she was equally adored by. She had friends, and hobbies, and so many things to fill her days and nights with joy, laughter, and light.

Sharon held to those things, especially when other aspects of her life were hard, or when she felt the weight of the darkness that she encountered in her work. They were the light at the end of a very gloomy tunnel. She was thinking about that as she listened to Detective Sanchez and Lieutenant Tao detail the evidence they'd found at the crime scene of their most recent case.

Rusty had a date with Brad and she was having dinner with Andy. They were planning to stay in, just the two of them, and have a quiet, comfortable evening at home. Those had been lacking these last few weeks, and she was looking forward to it. She was also trying to figure out when she began thinking of his residence as home as often as she thought of her own in that manner. They had spent evenings at her apartment; his house just offered them the most privacy.

She kept those thoughts in the back of her mind, however, and did not dwell on them too much while she listened to her detectives. Sharon opened her mouth to speak, but it snapped closed almost immediately. Her brows rose in surprise and askance as the subject of her thoughts strode into her Murder Room. Or perhaps the word she was looking for was _stalked_. He wore a dark scowl and seemed to be practically seething. Sharon took an almost involuntary step backward as it appeared to be directed at her. It had been quite some time since she had seen Andy looking _this_ angry and even longer since it had been directed at her.

"Lieutenant, can I help—" She trailed off when his hand circled her wrist. He hardly even slowed down. He pulled her along with him as he walked right into her office. Her surprise gave way to indignation. Whatever their relationship, she immediately decided that he had better have a damned good explanation. She whirled on him the moment that she was inside. "I beg your pardon."

Her voice had dipped dangerously, but Andy ignored it. He reached out and pushed her door closed. It banged a little harder than he intended, but he ignored it. He flipped her blinds closed in the next second. "We've got a problem." He held up the file he had been carrying. He slapped it into her hand and then stabbed a finger at the thing. "Tell me that I'm right. Tell me that you didn't know about that."

"_Captain_."

Her response, simple as it was, threw him a bit. Andy's eyes narrowed quizzically. He could feel his frustration level rising. He was already irritated to all hell. That low, warning tone that she was using on him wasn't doing a whole lot to make him feel better either. He ground his teeth together and shifted where he stood. "What?"

He had slapped the file into her hands. Her palms stung as she opened it. "The correct address that you were looking for," she stated, " is did you know anything about this, _Captain_." Sharon turned away from him and walked around her desk. If he was going to be belligerent, then she would respond accordingly. She didn't know what had set him off, but she did not appreciate his tone, nor did she appreciate having been manhandled. If he thought that he was going to take liberties with her, after everything that they had done to facilitate separating their personal and professional lives, he was very mistaken. "I understand, Lieutenant, that your transfer was some weeks ago, in fact, at this point I think we could even safely state that it has been some months since you left my team. Let me assure you that nothing has changed." She dropped the file onto the surface of her desk and lowered herself into her chair before opening it. Sharon looked at him over the rims of her glasses. "I still have the same expectations of civility and respect now as I had a few months ago. Would you like me to clearly define those, or is that reminder enough for you?"

Andy braced his hands against the edge of her desk and leaned over it. His lip curled. "I apologize, _Captain_," his voice pitched lower. It was dripping saccharine when he spoke. "You're absolutely right. Maybe I was a little hasty in my reaction earlier. You see; I'm a little concerned that the case file you're holding indicates a certain level of inappropriate behavior engaged in by individuals that you used to manage. While the specific dates of this case may clear you of any related wrongdoing, the fact remains that a longstanding member of that department demonstrated this behavior. That could indicate a deeper and longer problem, one that could implicate you. So then, with that in mind..." Andy reached out and tapped the file. "You want to tell me what the hell this is?"

Sharon blinked at him. She was too stunned to respond. Her mouth had dropped open. She shook her head as she looked down. She read over the case notes quickly and paged through it, looking for anything that might indicate what he was talking about. She found it in the interview notes. There was also a special note placed by the DDA that was assigned to the case and indicated that the suspect had filed a complaint for intimidation. Sharon flipped to the back of the file, looking for, and immediately finding the FID summary. The final report would still be filed with that department, but the case file would have a summary of the investigating officer's notes and findings. Sharon's eyes narrowed as she read through them. On the surface it seemed in order, but when she flipped back through the case, something felt a little bit lacking in all of it.

"I don't understand," she said finally. "The DDA's review notes that records of the interview did indicate that Detective Carey used a level of intimidation that he was uncomfortable with, by promising to have the suspect placed in county with rival gang members. It was also a clear violation of the Johnson Rule, which was in effect at the time of the interview. Sergeant Davis's notes indicate that he found no evidence of intimidation, and he filed the complaint as false and inflammatory in Carey's jacket." Sharon gestured as she spoke, when she looked up, there was a puzzled look on her face. "Why are you bringing this to me? The case file is almost two years old, why are you questioning this? It was clearly mishandled, but you should let the DA's office reopen the conduct review."

"They are." Andy pushed away from the desk. He dropped into one of the chairs in front of it with a sigh. "Turns out that Carey has had more than one complaint. I had to pull his jacket. Guess who has investigated most of them? Some of them even date back to a few years ago. You handpicked Davis and trained him. So you can see how it looks." He swept a hand into his hair. "DDA Michaels brought that to me. It's his case. He has to reopen the whole thing. Turns out the defendant's lawyer was getting ready to blow the whole thing wide open in a lawsuit against the department."

"How did Michaels find out about this?" Sharon closed the file again but rested a hand against it. "Andy, if a civil lawsuit is about to be filed on behalf of..." She had to reopen the file to find the defendant's name, "Mr. Lewis, then our own questioning of the conduct in this investigation is not going to look favorable."

"That's just it," he said. "The lawsuit isn't being filed. Lewis got a continuance in the case that was going to trial because he had to request a new public defender..." Andy met her gaze. "Lewis's lawyer died, Sharon," he spoke quietly. "Turns out Lewis was running off at the mouth from lock up, and word got back to the DA's office. Something about the fact that he'd finally gotten a lawyer who was becoming known for blowing open corruption cases in the LAPD."

"Oh." Sharon's eyes closed. She sat back in her seat. "Jack," she said quietly. He had already settled out of court on one case and had others pending. By the looks of it, they were going to be settled too, and favorably for his clients. His death had seriously delayed those proceedings.

"Yeah." He leaned forward and rested his elbows against his knees. "Look, I know this is bullshit. But I've got to throw out that interview now and reopen that case. I've also got to pull every one of Carey's other cases and audit them. I'm meeting with Staples later." His lip curled as he said the name. "So I gotta ask the question... Did you know that..."

"Of course not." Sharon leaned forward again. Her back was straight. "If Michael Davis is doing favors for his friends inside the LAPD, it has nothing to do with anything that I taught him, and I think you know that." Her tone had grown frosty. She pushed the file across her desk, suddenly wanting it as far from her as she could get it.

"Why do you think I'm here?" He shook his head at her. "Sharon, this doesn't look good. If this gets out, do you know how many cops that you pissed off that are going to want all of their cases reviewed? It's going to look like you'd come down hard on one as easy as you'd let another one off the hook, and I know," he added when her eyes flashed, darkening with both hurt and indignation, "that you didn't do that."

Sharon averted her gaze. She stared at the surface of her desk. "You should go." She clasped her hands in her lap and shook her head. "You really shouldn't be telling me all of this, not if it relates to my own conduct. It's privileged information, Andy. We can't discuss it."

"Not yet," he pointed out. "I don't know that they're opening any of your cases, it just makes sense that they would. He worked for you."

"Yes." Sharon lifted her gaze. "So did you." She took a breath and let it out slowly. "That is exactly why you are going to have to tread carefully here, Andy. The fact that you worked for me, and that there is now a personal relationship on record could call your own conduct into question. I know how you feel about the rulebook, but you're going to have to approach this as by the book as you can. From this moment forward you cannot discuss this with me. You cannot take the files home with you, and whatever you do, you cannot lose your temper with the investigating officers based on what they may or may not say about my conduct. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I got it," he said with some frustration. He didn't like it. Agreeing with Sharon that he would follow the rules, in _this_ instance, tasted bitter in his mouth. Andy's lip curled again. "I'm just worried I've got a bigger problem on my hands. Ellison would've known about this. He'd have been copied on the final summary, and he sure as hell would've seen the interview. So tell me something, what kind of ball of bullshit did I inherit?"

Her lips pursed. "Do you want my honest opinion, or should I tell you that everything will work out?"

Andy groaned. His head bent to hang a bit dejectedly. "Great." That response told him more than he wanted to know.

"Indeed." Sharon sighed. She studied the top of his bent head. She moaned quietly. She knew that she shouldn't get involved. She should send him back to the seventh floor and forget that this conversation ever happened. Suddenly she could feel a headache throbbing behind her eyes. "Okay, this is what you do," she began. "The immediate situation concerns Detective Carey. Focus your attention on that. I'll handle anything that comes my way. What I want you to do is begin watching your other detectives for any behavior that sticks out to you as inappropriate…" She trailed off when he gave her a bland look. The corners of her mouth twitched, but she suppressed the smile. "Right. Okay, look for any behavior that you think that _I_ would find questionable."

Andy rolled his eyes at her as he stood. He paced the length of her office, suddenly needing some kind of outlet for his frustration. "I just don't get it. We have a hard enough time putting these bastards behind bars without someone screwing it up by jacking with the system."

Sharon blinked a few times. Her lips trembled. She snorted, but slapped a hand over her mouth. It was too late to muffle the sound so she bowed her head, even while her shoulders shook. She cleared her throat but didn't look up. If she looked at him, Sharon knew that she would lose it completely. "That's… one way of looking at it," she managed, voice trembling with mirth.

"What the hell is so funny about it?" Andy scowled at the top of her head. He gestured as he walked. "It's not bad enough these dirtbags are going to get lawyers that are going to screw us, now our own people are going to screw us too?"

"Oh dear god." Sharon lowered her head until her forehead was resting against the cool surface of her desk. She giggled quietly.

Andy stopped pacing and glared at her. "What?" He snapped. His hands came to rest against his hips. "_Sharon_."

She looked up at him, but that was a mistake. The complete indignation in his scowl set her off completely. She shook her head and looked away. It wasn't funny, only it was. Not necessarily the sentiment, because he was exactly right, it was _who_ it was coming from. "I can't decide," she said, voice high pitched and entirely too amused, "if I've been a good influence on you, or a bad one."

"I'm glad you're so damned amused by all this." Andy folded his arms over his chest. He continued to glare at her. "I've inherited a shit-storm and you're sitting here laughing about it. Thanks a lot, _Captain_."

"I'm sorry." She sat back and tried to control her mirth. Her eyes continued to sparkle at him. "You're right, it's not very funny. I just never thought I'd hear those words coming from you."

"Why the hell not?" He sniffed at her. "Just because I don't like all the damned rules that doesn't mean that I don't follow them. Yeah, they're a pain in the ass sometimes, but I'm not an idiot. I get the point of having them. I just don't like wicked witches following me around with their clipboards and trying to shove them down my throat."

He was sulking now. Sharon's lips pursed. She'd managed to bruise his feelings. She leaned forward and smiled indulgently at him. "Yes I know," she said gently. "You're impatient and sometimes overzealous, but I would never have accused you of being a dirty cop. You've just always been very vocal with your annoyance of the regulations."

"Well some of them are a pain in the ass," he muttered.

"Hm." Sharon rested her chin in her hand. "Really, and which ones, exactly, do you have a problem with?"

The tone that she had taken with him was bordering on too sweet. It set off warning bells in his head. Andy grunted quietly and chose not to answer. It was better for him if he didn't. "So what you're saying is," he changed the subject instead, it was safer. "I should just play hall monitor with my team and see how big a problem Ellison left me with?"

"That's the gist of it, yes." Sharon straightened a bit. She clasped her hands together against the surface of her desk. "If you've got more problem officers than just Carey you'll realize it very quickly. At most they're only at fault for turning a blind eye to his behavior. No one likes FID, Andy, that's a fact that I am very familiar with. Whenever possible we want to try and protect our own, we keep the problems with our officers inside our own divisions as much as we can. Ellison may not have been culpable. He may have only been negligent."

"Sharon." He sighed. Andy grimaced at her words and walked back over to lean against her desk. "I wouldn't repeat that in front of anyone if I were you." It sounded dangerously close to a confession.

She stared at him for a moment. As she realized how it sounded, she sat back in her seat and dropped her hands into her lap. "There's a certain amount of truth in it, isn't there?"

He watched her, studying her hands. He imagined she was probably picking at her nails, a nervous habit she had. "Yeah well," he shrugged. "Good thing we're technically not supposed to be having this conversation. It means I won't have to repeat it to anyone." He dropped back into the chair he had vacated earlier and ran a hand over his face.

Sharon's brows lifted. "Actually, you should." She shrugged. "You confronted Sergeant Davis's former supervisor and that conversation raised suspicions. You should definitely discuss them with Sergeant Staples. If you don't, then you're as culpable in this Lieutenant Ellison and myself."

"That's bullshit." Andy scowled at her. "Sharon I think you had about as much to do with this as I did. You weren't involved."

"Wasn't I?" She waved a hand at the file that was still sitting on her desk. "Andy, if Sergeant Davis was mishandling his cases, who does it ultimately fall back on? Further more…" She laughed, but there was no amusement in the sound this time. "I think we can both agree there are at least two other documented cases that would point at a habit of negligent behavior. You can't sit on this just because you and I are personally involved. I won't allow you to do that."

"What you and I do when we leave this building doesn't have a damned thing to do with it," he snapped. "You can't keep an eye on everything your people do every second of the damned day. They're professionals, you have to be able to trust them."

"Yes." Sharon smiled sadly at him. "Like I trusted Ally Moore to be truthful about the fact that she was being physically abused by her husband. Or like I trusted that Julio Sanchez would get his anger issues under control before it became a reportable incident." She paused and looked down again. "Or like I should have insisted that you transfer before considering that we become personally involved, rather than promoting the idea that you continue working for me."

"Okay one," Andy leaned forward and pointed a finger at her. "Moore played you. You care about your people and there's nothing wrong with that. She played on that, and took all of us for a ride. As for Julio…" He ground his teeth together. "Sharon, he's not the only one around here that's got issues with his temper. You reprimanded him every time. At some point he had to take responsibility for it. As for you and I…" He shook his head at her. "There's no rule against it. You wanted to think we could handle it, and maybe we could, but why chance it? It doesn't even factor in, and frankly, I resent the hell out of the fact that you think it does. For all we know Davis didn't start jacking around with the system until after you transferred out and he didn't have you looking over his shoulder anymore."

"Maybe." She smiled warmly at him. His belief in her was touching, but it couldn't change the fact that they were faced with. "We won't really know until Sergeant Staples begins reviewing his other cases. I still expect you to discuss your suspicions with him. If you don't, I will."

"So you want me to rat you out about something that you couldn't have known about, and didn't have anything to do with, just so that it doesn't look bad for us?" Andy ran a hand over his face again. "God I hate this bureaucratic crap."

Sharon hummed. "Being in charge does have its perks, but this is certainly not one of them."

He snorted. She could say that again. Andy squinted at her. "How bad is this going to get for you?"

Her lips curved into a genuine smile. "You mean if it goes back that far? It may be uncomfortable, but I doubt it will be too horrible. My record is otherwise impeccable and so were my cases. At most they'll call my management skills into question, but again, my record there will work in my favor. My reputation may take a hit, but I think I'll be okay."

"I still don't like it." Andy scowled. "I feel like I'm tossing you to the wolves."

"No," she said at length. "You're doing your job. You're responsible for the workings of that division and the people in it. You have a duty to act, not just in their best interests, but in that of the public too. We need to know how far Sergeant Davis's activities have reached and if any other cases were impacted by them." Sharon looked away from him and sighed. "Andy, your first response to all of this was anger. I think we both know that it was because you already thought I might, however indirectly, have something to do with this, and you were concerned about what that would mean for me. If you thought it, someone else is going to think it. You aren't tossing me to the wolves. I'm a big girl," she added with a smile, "I can take care of myself."

"I still think it's bullshit," he told her. Andy threw up his hands. "Fine, I'll tell Staples, that doesn't mean that I really buy any of it." He pushed himself up and picked up the file again. "Just so we're clear, I'm really pissed about it too."

"Yes." She smiled at him. "I understand. I'm sorry, Andy. It's a terrible inconvenience, I know."

"Yeah," he grumbled. "You're making it up to me later." He stopped at the door. "Brownies. Double fudge."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "Go back to work, Lieutenant. You're bothering me."

"I'm going, Captain." He sniffed. "Damned rulebook…"

Sharon watched him go. It was not until her door had closed behind him that she lowered her head into her hands. Her fingers massaged her temples, trying to smooth away the headache. It was much too late. She didn't think that she would be getting rid of it anytime soon. His first instinct had been to come to her, and while she could understand that, it was habit that they were going to have to curb.

He had been right, she realized. They couldn't work together. Not now, not if he was willing to bend the rules or even ignore them just to protect her. Sharon couldn't imagine that Davis's behavior went back that far, or that she had missed any inappropriate behavior on his part, but she just didn't know that for sure. Neither did Andy. His instinct was to protect her. It was admirable, but unnecessary, and it had no place in their professional lives.

Sharon drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. She could not, and would not, change him. She didn't believe that relationships were about changing the people that you were with, but rather in loving the person they already were. Helping them to become the best person they could be was one thing, but attempting to change an individual was another. She wouldn't do that to him. She loved him just as she had him. Hot-tempered and impatient though he could be.

She would need to tell Staples that she and Andy had discussed the situation. What she could do, however, was wait until the Sergeant came to her. Sharon rubbed her temples again. It was going to be a long day, and from the looks of it, a not altogether pleasant one.

**-TBC-**


	9. Chapter 9

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

At a quarter to seven when Andy had neither seen, nor heard from Sharon, and knew that she had gotten out of the office on time, he decided that she wasn't coming by for their night in. He supposed that he should have figured well before then that she wouldn't feel up to it after the events of that day. It was only natural that she would be upset at being implicated in the wrong doing of someone she had not just previously managed, but also trained. He wouldn't be up to hanging out either, but it didn't surprise him that she would be upset with _him._ Not with the way that the discussion in her office had gone. He'd be pissed at him too.

Andy was thinking about that and how he would smooth it over with her as he sat down in front of the game. The Dodgers were losing, no great surprise there, but his attention wasn't really on it. The last time they had argued, he had taken her to dinner at her favorite restaurant. Somehow he didn't think that was going to get it done this time. She had mentioned in passing wanting to do one of those dinner cruises out around Catalina. Andy didn't want to do that because he was trying to get back in his girlfriend's good graces. He wanted to do it because it was something she wanted, and because he wanted to experience it with her. He was tempted to cave in and ask Nicole, but he could already hear his daughter's sigh and the sound of her voice in his head asking him what he'd done.

He tapped the remote against his leg while he sat there. He supposed he could just do it the tried and true, and simplest way possible. He could get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness. Well, perhaps not beg, and maybe he wouldn't exactly get down on his knees either. He wasn't as young as he used to be. Just telling her that he was sorry, however, might get it done.

He was still thinking about that when his front door opened. There were only a couple of people that would bother walking right in. Provenza didn't bother coming by unannounced anymore since he and Sharon started seeing each other, and Nicole would have called first. Andy craned his head around to get a look at his visitor from around the back of his chair. He watched Sharon drop her keys in the tray by the door before she walked into the room. Andy sat forward in his chair and turned off the game. "Hey." He stood up and walked over to join her. While she dropped her purse on a table, he took the two shopping bags that she was carrying. "I thought you'd changed your mind."

Sharon gave him a surprised look. "Why?" She let him take one of the bags but held on to the other. She glanced at her watch. Stopping at the market had put her a few minutes behind schedule, but she wasn't too awfully late. "It's date night." She rose up onto the balls of her feet to kiss him before walking around him and into the kitchen. Sharon set the bag on the stretch of counter between the stove and the refrigerator and began emptying it. "I know we talked about doing takeout tonight, but I feel like I've been practically living on takeout for the last week." She pulled out fresh vegetables for a salad and the ingredients that she had picked up for a quick pasta dish and placed them in the refrigerator.

"That's fine." Andy placed the second bag on the counter for her. He shrugged. "You were upset earlier. It made sense that you'd go home."

She glanced at him. He seemed just a little bit wary of her. Sharon snorted a quiet laugh. "What happened to,_ what we do when we leave here doesn't have a damned thing to do with it_?" She shook her head at him. "I wouldn't cancel without calling first. That would be rude." Her eyes sparkled at him. "I also wouldn't cancel because we disagreed at work. What we do here doesn't have a _damned thing to do_ with what happens there, or are you forgetting the fact that you short-staffed me to make sure we didn't have this issue?"

He studied her closely. She was smiling, and there was none of the worry in her gaze that it had contained earlier that day. Andy grunted quietly. He reached out and wrapped a hand around her arm. He tugged her toward him. "So then, you're telling me that I don't have to grovel?"

"Well," she drawled, "you can grovel if you'd like, but I can't think of anything that you've done that you _need_ to grovel for. Unless this is your way of telling me that you've been naughty." She leaned in to him, mouth twitching toward a smile. "Have you been naughty, Andy Flynn?"

"Not yet, apparently," he rumbled, "but the night's still young." He dropped a kiss onto her laughing mouth.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "I didn't think I was running that late. I only stopped at the market because someone was whining about wanting brownies."

"Oh?" He let go of her and turned. He tipped down the side of the bag he had carried in for her. She had bought the makings for the brownies, rather than stopping by the bakery. Andy sighed. "I think I love you."

She laughed. "You're so easy." Sharon grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the counter. "Now go. I can't bake with you distracting me." She turned him and gave him a gentle push back toward the living room.

"I'm not distracting. I'm supervising." He let her prod him, but he walked over to pull down a mixing bowl for her rather than leaving the room. "It's my kitchen."

"Not when I'm cooking in it." Sharon took the bowl from him and then started pushing him toward the door again. She laughed when he lifted her and sat her on the counter. "This isn't getting the brownies made," she pointed out. "Who was it that wanted them? Something about a _damned rulebook_ ruining his day?"

"Found something better." He stood between her legs, but his hands rested loosely at her hips. It would always amaze him just how compartmentalized she could be. "Are we going to talk about it at all?"

"Nope." She tugged at the front of his shirt. "I told you, we can't discuss it, and we're not going to. If this is, in some way an attempt on your part to ask how the rest of my day went, what I can tell you is that it was not as terrible as we anticipated. That's it." She tapped his chest with her finger.

His eyes narrowed. "That's it," he repeated, but still wondered what had gone on after he left her office. Sharon was unreadable, however, and only smiled at him. Andy rolled his eyes. "You're really not going to talk about it, are you?" She shook her head at him without saying another word. He leaned forward and kissed her. "Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?"

She shrugged and hummed at him. Sharon continued to smile. "I can understand where you might be frustrated by it, yes. I, on the other hand, can fully appreciate-" She trailed off with a squeak when he pulled her forward and lifted her. The world tilted as she was tossed over his shoulder. "You're going to throw your back out," she warned.

"I'm not that old." He smirked as he started out of the kitchen with her. "And you don't weigh that much," he added.

"Andy! I think I know exactly how old we both are. Put me down before you hurt yourself." She laughed as he carried her through the house. "What about dinner?"

"We'll have cereal," he decided.

"Yes, but I wanted something healthy," She reminded him.

"Then don't eat the Lucky Charms," he said, referring to the cereal he'd bought for Nicole's boys the last time that they visited. Sharon refused to admit it but she was the one who had taught them to pick out and eat the marshmallows first. When he had called her on it, she had only smiled happily and told him she was practicing the lessons that her mother had taught her when Emily and Ricky were younger. She was spoiling the hell out of them and sending them back.

Damn if he didn't love that woman.

She wasn't going to talk about the Davis investigation. She wasn't upset with him. Nor did she seem very upset about _it_ either. Andy supposed that he would find out what was going on with that when he was back in the office the next day. Whatever the outcome, she was right. They couldn't let it affect _them,_ just as they couldn't allow whatever transpired between them in their private life to enter into their professional dealings. It seemed as if they had weathered that storm.

So, just maybe, he loved her rulebook too.

As he kicked his bedroom door closed behind them, to the sound of more laughter from the woman in his arms, Andy thought about what else she had said. It was _her_ kitchen.

He wondered how she would feel about moving in. Maybe it was time to take her on that sunset dinner cruise and find out. After all, if they had learned anything over the course of the summer it was that life was not always cut short by the actions of others. It could come to a sudden and unexpected halt. They didn't have all the time in the world, and whatever else might come their way, he was never letting go of her. There would be fights and tears, and moments of sorrow. They would have triumphs and losses, and they would be tested. They had been tested, and as it turned out, in life as in work, they were stronger together.

Hell, maybe someday soon, he'd just marry that woman.

**MCMCMCMCMCMC**

The room was dark, but the night was unusually illuminated by the glow of an almost full moon. Its silvery glow had combined with that of the streetlights to light the night sky a deep shade of amber. That light flowed in from the two double windows that bracketed the room, one on each wall. The bed stood between them, and so when Sharon slipped from it and looked back, her gaze fell easily on a sleeping Andy.

She watched him roll to his back in her absence, and an arm was thrown over his head. The light from the window gleamed off his bare arms and chest. Her eyes tracked the movement of muscles as they flexed and stretched until he settled again. She smiled, as in sleep his face lost some of the lines, and he looked almost carefree.

Sharon moved quietly around the bed, and in the dark, she rooted carefully until she came up with the t-shirt that she had pulled from his body earlier. She pulled it over her head and enjoyed the way that the scent of him, along with his cologne, lingering in the fabric, settled around her. She took just a moment to duck her face into the collar and smiled again as she inhaled. Then with a quiet hum, and not wanting to wake him with her moving about, she slipped quietly out of the bedroom.

Her fingers combed through her hair, smoothing out tangles and tousled curls, wild from an evening spent in playful lovemaking. Their nights together were not always about wild abandon. She rolled her eyes at what those thirty years younger would call unbridled passion. How foolish were they? There was passion and desire, surely, but there was also laughter and teasing. It was not only a matter of sex, or seeking release, although that was definitely wonderful.

It was _fun_. To be able to spend an evening playing in the arms of a partner that could easily decipher your needs and had no hesitation in meeting them.

Maybe it was the advantages of age. They didn't always just fall into bed and get swept away in the act. They talked, and they laughed, and they loved. They forgot about dinner and locked the world outside. The evening became about them and their simple enjoyment of one another.

Afterward she had dozed in his arms, but the hour wasn't that late, and her mind was still at work. Unable to really sleep and knowing that she would wake him if she stayed in bed, Sharon decided to get up. Her mind was filled with thoughts and concerns, and still processing the events of the day.

She would not, could not, discuss it with Andy, but the day had not gone as badly as they had worried it would. It hadn't exactly gone well either. In the course of a single interview, and with very little prompting, Michael Davis had come completely clean about everything. As it turned out, he and Carey had come up through the Academy together. He had handled the Sergeant's previous incidents, but insisted that they had been handled according to procedure. It was only this one time that he had been convinced to look the other way. Carey was going through a rough time, and was on his last warning. Davis had allowed himself to be swayed and had been sick about it since.

There would be a follow-up investigation. His previous cases, especially those that pertained to Sergeant Carey, would have to be audited. He was already suspended pending the outcome of that, and his future with the LAPD did not seem very certain. Sergeant Carey had also been suspended while his own conduct was reviewed. Sharon was sure that Andy already knew about that, but he would get the report on Davis in the morning.

When she hadn't heard from Sergeant Staples during the course of her day, Sharon had gone to him. It wasn't that she thought that Andy hadn't revealed their conversation to him, but given the new status of their relationship, it could look a little odd to have an officer with a history of inappreciative behavior toward FID volunteering information about his girlfriend. It could look as if they'd had a spat and he was trying to get even.

It was during the course of her conversation with the Sergeant that he explained the outcome of his initial interview with her former subordinate. Staples believed him. Not that he was necessarily as remorseful as he claimed, but that he hadn't engaged in that behavior before. Further review would prove that true or not, but no one in PSB believed that she was responsible for it.

There was a small measure of relief in that, but Sharon was going to hold herself responsible for it. As she had once told Andy, she was very aware of the fact that she had high standards. She did exempt herself from them.

As she moved through the house, she recalled that they had skipped dinner. Her nose wrinkled at the idea of actually having cereal for the meal, and Sharon made her way into the kitchen to investigate her options.

There was the salad that she had planned for dinner, and the other vegetables that she had bought for the pasta sauce. She hummed to herself as she took them out again and began slicing red and green sweet peppers. She snacked on a slice of red bell pepper as she gazed into the refrigerator. She lifted a foot and rubbed it against the back of her calf as she stood there. Sharon was reminded of the brownies that she had planned to make and smiled to herself as she took the butter and eggs out and placed them on the counter.

While she moved around the kitchen, finding everything that she would need to make the double fudge brownies that were so sweetly requested, Sharon reached into a drawer and pulled out a hair tie. She didn't like her hair in her face when she cooked. As she swept it up and into a loose bun, her hands stilled. There she stood, in the middle of her lover's kitchen, wearing only his t-shirt, and she knew it almost as well as she knew her own. She had reached blindly for the tie, and hadn't even given it a second thought that it would be where she had left it the last time that she cooked in this kitchen.

Sharon tried to recall the last time that she had prepared a meal in her own kitchen and could only find a single recent memory. Brunch with Rusty and Brad the previous weekend, but since then, she and Andy had either gone out for dinner, or she had eaten takeout at the office. After, she hadn't even gone home to sleep in her own bed. Sharon stared at the gleaming stainless mixing bowl that was waiting for her on the counter. She watched the overhead lights play in the reflections of its sides and drew a thin breath. Had she really not been home in a week?

She had gone to shower or change clothes, and she did remember watering her plants in recent days, but as to having slept in her own bed, the answer was a resounding no. If she slept, it was here.

Sharon exhaled and the air left her lungs in a rush. She was not the only one. She had left the murder room late a few nights ago, exhausted and wanting nothing so badly as to wrap herself in a warm blanket and close her eyes. She had Rusty with her when she left, not wanting him to drive while he was equally as tired. It wasn't the condo that she had driven them to, and he hadn't raised any protests or questions when it became obvious that they were headed to Echo Park rather than Los Feliz. As she thought back on it, Rusty had simply trudged tiredly into the house with her and disappeared into the front guest room. The next morning, over coffee and a breakfast that had consisted of hastily made toast; neither he nor Andy had acted as if it was unusual for him to be there. Then he had ridden to work with Andy while Sharon finished getting ready for the day.

She drew away from the kitchen and walked over to stand in the archway that separated it from the living room. She let her gaze sweep the space. On the back of a chair in the corner there was a blue hoody that belonged to her son. The pumps beneath the end table next to Andy's leather recliner were undoubtedly hers, and she couldn't recall exactly when she had left them there. On the back of the sofa there was a plastic garment bag from the dry cleaner's. Sharon knew that if she opened it she would find one of her dresses, a skirt, and her lavender blazer mixed in with Andy's suits.

She was left feeling just a little bit dazed. Sharon turned away and walked back into the kitchen. She moved around the kitchen again, glad to be able to operate on autopilot as she let her mind drift. Her hands went through the familiar motions of measuring and mixing, cracking eggs and beating them. While she held the mixing bowl in the crook of her arm, cradled against her body, she leaned her hip against the counter and absently stirred the brownie mix. At the beginning of the summer she woke up in this house with a similar feeling. At that time she had wanted to know how she had come to be in that man's bed without any pants on. Now as they moved into the early days of fall, she wanted to know when she had moved in with him.

The bulk of her belongings might not be there, but it was where she was spending the majority of her personal time. That wasn't to say that she felt as if she was neglecting the other aspects of her life, but she was taken by surprise that she had become so comfortable, so easily, in _this_ part of her life, that it had come together with little effort on her part. She saw Rusty every day, and they'd had lunch together twice that week. They would be seeing a movie during the weekend, if their work schedules permitted, and she had asked him to bring Brad to brunch again that Sunday. Sharon was supposed to spend the afternoon shopping with Gavin on Saturday, and she spoke to Ricky and Emily regularly.

Sharon thought of all of that and more as she stood making brownies in the middle of the night, for the man whose home she appeared to be sharing, simply because he had asked for them in jest. He had a sweet tooth, that man of hers, and he had no shame in wheedling her to bake. She didn't mind it. Sharon folded the bittersweet dark chocolate chips into the brownie mix with a smile. He did just as many wonderful things for her and more.

Perhaps, she considered, that was why she had not realized how much time she was spending in his home rather than hers. It was where she wanted to be. She was happy there. It was only natural that she would seek that out as often as possible. She shook her head and pushed those thoughts aside as she started the oven to pre-heating.

It was nothing for her to worry over. Although she decided very quickly that if she was going to be spending much more time there, she was going to have to do something about that yard. Good grief, would it kill the man to plant a shrub?

She was smiling about that as she poured the brownie batter into a baking pan. She didn't jump when arms circled her from behind. She had heard the squeak of the bedroom door when it opened. Sharon hummed at the kiss that was placed against the crook of her neck. "Did I wake you?"

"No." His arms settled loosely around her waist. Andy pulled her against his bare chest. He had pulled on a pair of sweats, but realized now where his t-shirt had gone. "The bed got cold." He turned his face into her neck. "Sharon, what are you doing up? This could have waited."

"I know." She rested a hand against one of his arms. "I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to keep you up with my tossing and turning." She turned her head and kissed the curve of his jaw. "I was hungry. Someone refused to feed me."

He grunted. "I remember talking about cereal." His hand snapped out and caught her wrist when she used a single finger to wipe a drop of thick brownie batter from the rim of the mixing bowl. He brought it to his lips and let his tongue sweep it clean. A low, appreciative sound rumbled in his throat. "That's better than Cheerios."

She laughed quietly. "Yes, I think so too." Sharon leaned up and caught his mouth in a quick kiss. Her lips curved into a smile at the bittersweet taste of chocolate. "You should go back to bed," she told him. "You'll have these for tomorrow."

"Nope." He kissed the side of her head before pulling away. "Now I'm hungry." He didn't much care for going to bed without her either. Andy walked over and opened the fridge to forage for food, but closed it when his eyes caught sight of the vegetables that she had been slicing into an impromptu salad. "I'm going to make a vegetarian out of you yet." He picked up a slice of pepper and chewed on it.

She laughed. The delighted sound rang off the walls of the kitchen. "I wouldn't bet on it." Sharon recognized easily that he was teasing. He never complained when meat accompanied their meals, and she could easily plan a dish around his preferences. She slid the pan of brownies into the oven and walked over to join him. Her hand slid along the length of his arm to circle his wrist. "Sit down and I'll make us something."

"This is fine." He was perfectly content with the peppers that she had sliced. Andy tugged his arm out of her grasp and pulled her to him. "You don't need to cook for me. I can manage." He dropped a kiss onto her smiling lips. "I can pour cereal like a champ." The sound of her laughter made him smile. He moved his hand into her hair and drew her into a longer, lingering kiss.

"Maybe I like cooking," she said against his mouth. "Or maybe I don't want you to burn the house down if you get distracted."

"One little grease fire," he sighed, but he was still nipping playfully at her lips. "You survived and so did the house. I can cook, dammit."

"Really." She leaned into him. She could feel his amusement; it was in the silent laughter that vibrated in his chest. "Prove it."

"All right." Andy set her away from him. He walked across the kitchen and reached into a cupboard. He came back with the box of Cheerios, which he placed behind her. "Dinner is served."

"Hopeless." Sharon laughed. She shook her head as she turned to walk to the refrigerator. He caught her arm, however, and she was pulled back against him. "Yes?"

His hands cupped her head. He kissed her, let his mouth angle over hers and until that lingering caress left them breathless. Only then did he turn her. He lifted her up and set her on the counter. Then he considered what they had in the way of the vegetables she had already sliced. Andy walked over and pulled eggs out of the fridge, along with cheese, and the makings for an omelet. He placed the items on the counter beside her and took down another bowl for beating the eggs.

They were both hungry, but he doubted that either of them really felt like having anything too heavy at this point in the night. When she leaned into his side and rested her chin against his shoulder, he smiled. She picked at the additional peppers that he chopped up for the omelets, but she was feeding them to him as well herself while he worked.

He nipped at her fingers. When he decided that she had taken enough off the cutting board to satisfy their immediate hunger, the flat edge of the knife tapped her fingers. Sharon rolled her eyes at him, but he only scowled at her. There was little heat in it, however. When he moved to the stove, she remained where she was. She watched while he made a very late dinner and decided, quite fervently, that she was exactly where she wanted to be. She couldn't fathom spending an evening like that any other way.

Sharon wondered what he would do if she just took over half his closet. A smile played at her lips at the thought.

Maybe she'd just try it and find out.

**-TBC-**


	10. Chapter 10

**Love Never Fail Us**

**By Kadi**

**Rated: M**

**Disclaimer:** This isn't my sandbox, but it is my favorite place to play.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

All dressed up and nowhere to go. That was a thought that rang, somewhat mournfully, through Sharon's head as she placed the new red dress she had planned to wear that evening back on its hanger. She smiled a bit sadly as she closed the closet door and turned away. She had traded it for a soft sweater and a pair of leggings.

It was an almost perfect find, and an accidental one at that. The red material was soft, and it accentuated curves that were quickly fading as she climbed that hill toward sixty. She had felt fifteen years younger wearing it, and yet, she hadn't felt silly in it at all. The cut was modest and age appropriate, with a neckline that had scooped teasingly, and a skirt that danced around her thighs. It was shorter than she usually wore, but she had decided to take a chance on it. For the first time, in a very long time, she had bought something based on what she thought someone else might think of it, and rather than solely how she felt about it.

She had taken a great deal of care in dressing that evening. It was a night that they had been planning for several weeks now. She had only mentioned her desire to try the sunset, dinner cruise around Catalina to Andy once, months ago. The topic had come about in passing, and then, quite amazingly, he surprised her with the invitation.

With their work habits and schedules it was a night that had taken careful planning on his part, and then he'd told her in advance so that they could be sure that they would both be available. They both wanted to make sure that they were covered for the night, and pending any natural disasters or terrorist attacks, they felt that their people could handle any cases that came up just prior to or during their evening out.

Sharon couldn't say for sure, but there was something about this evening that Andy wasn't telling her. There was an air of anticipation around him. It was thick with excitement and not a little bit of anxiety. He seemed just a tad nervous when they talked about it, and he had planned it all so meticulously. That wasn't really like him.

He was very thoughtful when it came to their dates or if he surprised her with a small gift or token, but never to this degree. It had left her wondering exactly what he had planned, and while she was aware that she could be building the evening up toward something it wasn't, a thrilling sense of anticipation had been dancing in her belly for days.

That was at an end now. She couldn't help but feel sad at it. Whatever he planned for her, she wouldn't know now. Or rather, she wouldn't know until they could try again.

She walked quietly around the bedroom and picked up the laundry, and one of her discarded teacups that drove Andy crazy. Her disappointment that she was going to spend an evening doing laundry and paying bills was heavy, and she indulged herself in sulking just a bit. There was even a small part of her that was questioning if this was how it was going to be with them now?

It was only the one cancelled date, and things did happen. She knew that she was being ridiculous, but she simply couldn't help it. Small fears that she thought she was well rid of were rearing their ugly heads at her.

She had moved in with the man, awfully quickly come to think of it. The fall season was mostly behind them now, and a tiny voice at the back of her mind reminded her that the condo hadn't sold yet. She put it on the market at the end of September when Andy had jokingly told her that if she was going to leave her stockings hanging on a shower rod, she might as well do it at one place rather than two. She had teased him back that it would only be an option if they could do something about the depressingly empty flowerbeds in front of the house.

She came home two days later to find several bags of soil stacked beside the front porch. There had been boxes of landscaping bricks, and a variety of plastic planters that held small shrubs and brightly colored flowers. Andy had not been home; he had been working a case. When Sharon entered the house, she found several flattened boxes leaning against the wall in the foyer, with a sticky note affixed to them. _Did my part. Now it's your turn! _

She had laughed until she almost cried at his audacity and the silly nature with which they had approached that life changing decision.

Sharon had called his bluff. She spoke to Rusty about it that evening. With him back in school for the fall session he was only working with her part-time now, and she didn't see him as often. Sharon had made a point of meeting him for dinner at the condo. They sat down and talked, just the two of them, about what a move might mean.

As it turned out, Rusty had helped him pick up the planting soil and other items. He wasn't opposed to it. He just hadn't wanted to ask what it would mean for _him_. That led to the discussion of Sharon reminding him that he was her son, and where she went, he went. At least until he was ready to be on his own, which they both agreed was not yet. Sharon wanted him to at least finish his Associates Degree before they discussed the idea of him moving out – hopefully into a college dorm to further his studies.

They couldn't continue living in two places. That was another thing that they agreed on. If she and Andy wanted to live together, then they should do it. Sharon called the realtor the following week, and the condo was placed on the market. They didn't make a big production out of the move. She and Rusty both did it in stages and by small degrees, until by the time the realtor was ready to show the condo for the first time, it stood completely empty.

Sharon sighed as she skirted around the sofa in the living room. Hers had taken the place of his, and they had filled his dining room with her table set, including the credenza and dish hutch. Her favorite tea set now occupied a spot in the kitchen at the center of his butcher-block breakfast table. Her writing desk sat in a corner of the living room, and his had been given to Rusty and now occupied that room. They'd gone through the rest of their belongings too, giving away or donating what wasn't needed, and putting into storage what they couldn't live without but wouldn't be using.

It was _their_ house now, with an occupancy of three. Tonight she wasn't feeling regretful about that, but her little pity party in full swing. She ignored the doubts while she busied herself with the laundry. If anything, she wished that she had more explanation from Andy than a text that had only read, "_Everything is okay, but I'm not going to make it."_

She took out her frustration on the laundry. She sorted colors and darks with short, jerky movements, and was tempted to toss a pair of Rusty's red socks in with Andy's white ones. That would have been petty and childish so she pushed the thought away as quickly as it had come. She reminded herself that she was much too old for such things. She also reminded herself that the unexpected could happen at any time. They lived their lives surrounded by it. She couldn't hold a last minute cancelation against him.

It was just a little frustrating.

Or maybe she was just feeling a little bit of pre-holiday blues. It was barely even November, early yet for it to be gearing up. The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays were her favorite time of year, but Emily had already told her she wouldn't be making the trip home this year, and Ricky could only give her a _maybe_. Emily was going to be working, dancing the lead in a winter production of _Beauty and the Beast_ and Ricky was trying to get a new software package finished for a release to potential investors at the first of the year. He didn't know that he would be able to spare the time to make the trip.

It wouldn't be her first holidays without them, but it would be their first since their father had died. She wanted them close. They were living their own lives now, though. She couldn't want anymore than that for them, that they were chasing their dreams. Just as she was chasing hers. She missed them both so fiercely.

Perhaps, she considered, that was the reason that she was taking that evening's disappointment so hard. It came on the heels of those calls with her older two children. The excitement that evening had represented had seemed a perfect opportunity for being cheered up and reminded that she was not alone. She had Rusty, and she had Andy, and her life was very full. She was blessed.

With that thought in mind, she left the laundry behind. Sharon made her way into the kitchen to start dinner. Rusty would have expected to be on his own for the night, so she didn't know if he'd made plans with Brad or not. She sent him a text as she considered their dinner options. _"My plans changed. Are you coming home tonight? I'll cook. Love you." _

Although it might be some time before she got a response, Rusty _always_ replied to her texts. Sharon planned on making enough for all of them. She had no idea what had kept Andy, but she included him in that. If anything, she decided that she could put a plate aside for him. Since that was an option, she decided on making something that would keep. Andy had explained once how to make the vegetarian lasagna that he loved, and that she had enjoyed the one time he prepared it for her. With nothing else to do for the evening, she decided to try her hand at it.

The house was filled with the aromas of fresh garlic and sautéed vegetables when Andy got home. As he dropped his keys in the tray on the table beside the door, he could also pick out the scents of oregano and basil. It had his mouth instantly watering, but he was reminded that they had intended to have another sort of dinner and that had his shoulders slumping.

He was really looking forward to that night.

Andy sighed as he shrugged out of his jacket and loosened his tie. He walked through the house toward the kitchen and paused at the bar to take off his badge and gun. He left them laying on it and dropped his jacket over the back of one of the stools before he walked into the kitchen. He stopped just inside to undo the cuffs of his shirt and roll up his sleeves. His eyes swept the kitchen and easily found Sharon. She was dressed casually, but her hair was styled with more care than she typically took with it, and he could see that she had taken time with her makeup too. He felt like a bit of an ass, but it was unavoidable. "Hey."

"Hi." She was at the counter beside the stove, carefully layering lasagna noodles, cheese and the thick vegetable sauce in a long, glass casserole dish. She looked over at him and felt the remainder of her dour mood dissipate. In the downcast look in his eyes and the strained set of his shoulders she could see that her disappointment was shared. "Rough day?"

"Something like that." When he'd finished with his cuffs he walked over and lay his hands against her waist. He dropped a kiss to her shoulder, where the smooth skin was revealed in the sweeping tilt of her sweater and leaned against her back. "I'm sorry."

It rumbled quietly in the kitchen. His sorrow was genuine, but she had not doubted that. Sharon leaned back against him. With her hands busy, it was all that she could offer at the moment. "What happened?" She asked, wondering at his vague explanation from earlier.

Andy dropped his chin against her shoulder with a sigh. "Rusty and Brad broke up."

That was not what she had expected to hear. Sharon's hands stopped their dinner prep. She turned, cheese still held in one of them and a lasagna noodle in the other. "What?" Her brows lifted in surprise while her eyes widened. "What happened?"

"He didn't really talk about it." Andy let his hands fall away from her. He moved to lean against the counter beside her and shrugged. "He'll talk to you about it. With me he just wanted someone to be pissed with." He shook his head. Andy ran a hand over his face. "I took him out to the batting cage and let him knock the hell out of a few balls."

Sharon was staring at him. She didn't know what to say. She shifted where she stood. Her head tilted quizzically. "So… you cancelled on me to take my son out because he broke up with his boyfriend?" She was still mildly confused, but unless she completely misunderstanding him, she thought he might just be the most perfect man on the planet. Well, not exactly perfect, he was incredibly flawed and so was she, but at the moment… she was choosing to forget that. Her face settled into a warm smile. "Andy."

"What?" He shrugged again. "The kid was pissed off. I wasn't going to take him out for a drink and I figured the shooting range was out of the question. So we went and knocked around some baseballs. What else was I going to do?" He felt a little odd at the way she was staring at him. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. She was smiling at him in a way that told him he'd done something absolutely _right_, but he didn't really see the big deal in it. It was the same thing that he would have done for his son Jason, or any of the other guys. Andy shook his head at her. "Buzz was having dinner with his family and Julio had a date. I wouldn't let anyone ask Provenza for dating advice, so yeah… I took him out. All I really managed to get him to say was that Brad was being a jerk and called him a codependent momma's boy. If you ask me, I should have sent Rusty home to you and gone and had a talk with that Brad instead."

"Hm." Sharon started to press her fingers to her lips and realized that her hands were still full. She quickly turned and got rid of the food that she was holding. "Andy," she spoke again and her voice hitched. She shook her head as she faced him, eyes moist. "Where is he?"

Andy nodded toward the other side of the house. "Rusty went to his room. He had homework to finish before dinner." He pushed away from the counter and turned to look at the lasagna she was making. "Which looks pretty damned good and smells even better."

"Yes." She glanced at it, a bit absently. "I thought I'd try it." Sharon chewed on the inside of her lip. "Can you…" She waved a hand at it. It was only half built. It needed to be finished and placed in the oven.

"Yeah, I got it." He thought she had gotten a pretty good start to it. He couldn't wait to try it, even if he did still wish they'd made their reservation.

"Thank you." She started to leave him but stopped. Sharon played a hand against his chest and leaned into him instead. Her lips were soft against his. "I won't be long," she said softly.

"You've got time." He smiled down at her. With her looking at him like that he didn't feel so bad about canceling their evening. He just didn't know if they would get that opportunity again anytime soon. Their schedules didn't always match up. It was easier for them to both get away, now that they were no longer in the same division, but they were both still incredibly busy with their caseloads. He kissed the top of her head. "Go. Check on your kid."

She smiled brightly at him. Thoughts of what they'd had planned for the night were pushed to the back of her mind as she made her way through the house. Rusty had taken the larger of the two guest rooms for his own. It was located nearer the front of the house. Sharon knocked quietly on the door before pushing it open. "Rusty."

He was seated at his desk and staring at his open history book, but not really seeing the words. He looked up at the sound of her voice. Rusty had known it wouldn't be long before she was checking on him. He didn't intend it to be any great secret, and even if it was, Sharon and Andy told each other everything. He didn't think that either of them would break a confidence, but they would talk about it, even if they didn't get into specifics. He leaned his chin into his hand and just shrugged at her. "Boys suck."

Her lips pressed together, but still she smiled, if a bit sadly. "Yes, sometimes they do." She walked into the room and sat down on the corner of the bed nearest him. "I was actually thinking something similar earlier today." She leaned forward and rested her arms against her thighs. "Want to talk about it?"

"No." Rusty turned around in his chair. His shoulders slumped. "Brad wants to get an apartment. You know, the two of us, _together_. I told him that I would think about it," he said, and gestured helplessly with his hands. "But I'm just not ready for that. I mean, I kind of like the idea, but at the same time, it didn't feel right. You know?"

"I do." She smiled patiently, despite the sudden sense of dread that filled her. It lasted for only a moment, but it tied her stomach in knots. "Sometimes we like the idea of something better than we like that something. We may want it, but we don't need it. Did you tell Brad that you felt this way?"

"Yeah." Rusty picked at the hem of his jeans. "I mean, at first I tried to make it simple, you know? I told him that we just moved, and that I didn't want you to think that I was moving out because I was uncomfortable here. He just kept bringing it up. So I told him that I thought that it was better if we waited a little while. It's only been a few months, and that's totally fine for some people." Rusty waved a hand at her. "You and Andy were like dating for a whole year before it got serious."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. No matter how hard they tried, neither he nor Nicole would believe that they had not actually been dating during that year. After countless debates on the subject, Sharon had decided to ignore their mistaken perceptions of those long months of friendship. "Rusty, if Brad truly cares about you, then he would understand that you're just not ready. You can't use me as an excuse for the things that you don't want to do. If you really wanted to move out, I wouldn't expect you to ask my permission. I would miss you," she told him, "but it's a choice that you would have to make for yourself."

"I know that." Rusty sighed. "That's what I told Brad. I just… I don't feel like it's something that we should do right now. I don't feel like it's something that I should do. Things are finally good now, Sharon. I've got school, and the job at the department, and then there's all this," he gestured around him. "I tried so hard for so long to find a place where I fit in, I don't want to just leave it because some cute guy thinks we should play house."

She hummed in response. Sharon clasped her hands together and studied them. Rusty sounded as if he was very aware of what he wanted and how far he was willing to go in a relationship. He was far more together about it than she had been at his age, but she was reminded that he had done, and seen, and experienced things that no boy his age should. In many ways he was very young, but in so many others, Rusty was older than his years. "And I take it," she prodded gently, "that Brad was not very appreciative of that fact?"

"No." Rusty looked away. "He thinks we're codependent. He says that you have way too much control over my life and that I let you have it." Rusty rolled his eyes at that. "His parents have been letting him do, basically, whatever he wants since he was fifteen. That's not just having your parents trust you. It's not cool to be completely on your own and have no one care what you're doing or what's happening to you." That was a fact that he had lived and knew only too well. "You care about what happens to me, and you've always just wanted me to be safe. I get that. Even when it drives me crazy, Sharon, I get it." He exhaled quietly. "Whatever. Brad obviously didn't bother to get to know me at all if he can't understand that. I don't need that in my life."

"No," Sharon tilted her head at him. She smiled sadly. "I can agree that it sounds like you don't. Rusty, the thing that you need to be aware of is that sometimes it can take someone who is on the outside of a relationship to see the things about it that you can't." Her eyes sparkled. "For example, dating or _not_ dating. Andy and I didn't realize how the amount of time that we were spending together looked to those who were outside of that relationship. I know that you have your own ideas about it, but honestly, it wasn't until you pointed it out to us that we started to think about where that friendship might be going. That's a positive example. Other times…" Her gaze drifted away and her smile faltered. "I didn't realize that my marriage was in trouble until it was pointed out to me, and even then I didn't want to believe it. It took Jack _leaving_ for me to really take a long, hard look at things. Until then I was too close to it. I was too wrapped up in work and kids, and the idea of our marriage to see what was actually happening in it."

She reached out and laid a hand on his arm. "I can understand where Brad might mistake our relationship for codependence. To those who don't know what we've been through, it might seem as if I am the puppet master pulling the strings of your life. Only you can choose the path that you want your life to take. All I can do is make sure that you have what you need to make that choice. I want you to be happy, Rusty, and I want you to be safe." She smiled when he made a face at her two rules for him. "I also want you to live the life that _you_ want to live. One day you are going to realize what your dreams are, and you're going to follow them. They may take you to New York, or to Northern California, they may even take you farther or anywhere in between, but the fact is, they will be your dreams, and I will miss you ever day, but I would never stop you from following them."

"I know that, Sharon." Rusty looked down again. He concentrated on the pattern of the denim of his jeans as it stretched across his knee. There was an alarming ache in his throat. "That's why I told Brad to take his ideas about whether or not I was letting my _mommy_ run my life and stick them where he could be _really_ close to them." He looked up at her through the fringe of his bangs. "I meant it. I'm not ready to move out yet. I'm not ready to be on my own again. As long as you guys don't mind having me around, this is where I want to be."

He looked away from her again, and she knew it was lingering doubts that his argument with Brad had raised. She stood and moved closer. Sharon tipped his chin up and smiled down at him. "I will never mind having you around. There will always be a home for you with me." She smiled because her voice hitched. She shook her head at him. "I'm not ready for you to go either. So yes… for those out there not willing to understand, or to accept you as you are… boys suck."

He had to smile, because that was just so strange sounding coming from Sharon. Rusty studied her for a moment and then he gave her a sheepish look. "I'm sorry this messed up your date."

She snorted. "Rusty, I can go out to dinner with Andy anytime. I enjoy our time together, and I think that all three of my children are very aware of the fact that I'm pretty attached to him. The thing is, all of you will always come first. He knows that. Just as I know that he will always put Nicole and Jason before me. Understand?"

"Yes." Rusty nodded. "But I'm still sorry."

"So am I," she said of his breakup. There would be other boys though. Sharon didn't tell him that. He wasn't ready to hear it. In a few days, perhaps, when the sting wasn't quite so sharp. "Are you okay?"

"Not yet." Rusty shrugged. "I will be. I may need some serious burger therapy."

"Well," she grinned, "I can't do anything about that tonight. But I can offer lasagna, and I'm pretty sure there's ice cream."

His brows rose. "Chocolate?"

"Strawberry," she added with a smirk.

"Better." Rusty stood up. He could finish his history assignment later, he decided. "Can we have the ice cream before dinner?"

"Don't push it." She turned to lead the way out of the room.

Rusty feigned an aggrieved sigh. "Damned rulebook," he muttered, in an almost passable imitation of a certain Lieutenant they knew and were living with.

"Pushing," she drawled, but tossed a teasing smile at him from over her shoulder.

After dinner the guys had offered to clean the kitchen. Sharon had allowed it. She took that time to herself to catch up on a few days worth of mail that she had been neglecting. When they were finished and Rusty had retreated to his room again, Sharon made her way into the kitchen to prepare a cup of tea. She leaned her hip against a counter while it seeped and tilted her head thoughtfully while she watched Andy put away the last of the dishes. Her lips pursed while she stood there. It was not until he'd turned that she voiced the thoughts on her mind. "Do you think that I'm holding on to him too tightly?"

He gave her a quizzical look. He took the dishtowel that was draped over his shoulder and tossed it onto the counter. "In general, or does this have something to do with the kid breaking up with his boyfriend?" He leaned against the cabinet across from her and folded his arms across his chest. "He's nineteen, Sharon. He's going to break up with a lot of guys over the years. You gonna try to take credit for those too?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "No," she said at length. "Of course not. They fought because Brad wanted Rusty to move in with him. He says he isn't ready, and I agree. I don't think he's ready to live on his own at all, much less with a partner. Rusty can recognize that fact. What bothers me is that Brad seemed to think it had something to do with _me_, and not how Rusty felt about the situation. This wouldn't be the first time that I've been accused of not being willing to let him go."

"Maybe." His head inclined while he thought about it. Andy shrugged. "I just don't see it. I don't think you can look at each of those situations as one thing. You didn't want him going off with Dunn, and look what happened there? Your instincts told you that something was up and they were right. You didn't want him in witness protection. Rusty was too quick to react back then. He would've done something stupid. You wanted him where you could keep an eye on him, and it turns out, you were right then too. You didn't want him doing that SIS op, and guess what, right again. You were cautious about his dealings with his real mom when she showed back up, and what do you know?" Andy quirked a crooked grin at her, "Right again. Sharon, I think we can safely say that no one knows _your kid_ better than you do." He pushed away from the counter and walked toward her. His hands settled against her shoulders and stroked downward, along her arms. "Look at the life he's had and the crap he's been through. If you want to protect him a little bit, I think it's understandable. You might maneuver him a little here and there, sometimes without him really knowing it, but it's about _him_, Sharon. The kid isn't dumb. He's got you figured out and he's okay with it."

She hummed quietly as she cradled the teacup in her hands. She studied the contents for several moments while she thought about what he said. "Sometimes," she said softly, "it just feels like I've spent so long keeping him safe that the idea of letting him go at all is the most frightening thing in the world. I want him to succeed, and I want him to be happy. But there are also moments when I feel like being selfish because I only just got him. He came to me late."

"Yeah." Andy could understand where she would want to hold on to him for a little while longer. "Here's the thing. You might've missed out on the beginning, but you're the one who saved him. You taught the kid how to be strong. You're the one he comes to when he needs a _mother_."

Sharon smiled. She set her teacup aside and reached for him. His tie was gone now, but she tugged at his shirt and pulled him closer. Standing as she was in only her bare feet she had to tip her head back to look up at him. "He was already strong. All I did was let him see it."

"You know, the fact that you're worrying about how much influence you have on him should tell you everything that you need to know. Rusty is going to be okay. He's a smart kid."

"I think so too." She had always seen a lot of promise in that boy. Sharon's lips curved into a smile. "You took him out?"

Andy rolled his eyes at her. "You know, as Rusty would say, don't be a girl about it."

Sharon laughed. "And here I thought you liked the fact that I'm such a girl." Her eyes were glittering with amusement as she leaned up to kiss him. Her hands slid up his sides.

"Oh," he captured her bottom lip and teased it. "I do." His hands fell to her hips. He pulled her against him. His voice rumbled thickly when he added, "I am sorry about tonight."

"Me too." Sharon smiled against his mouth. "Make up like this, at my age, doesn't happen very often. There was a new dress and I was inspired. You missed out pal." She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. "I'm not going to complain. It was for a good cause."

Andy grunted. "Dammit." He arched a brow at her. "So... You wanna go put it back on and fool around."

"Nope." Sharon slipped out of his arms. She caught his hand, though, and pulled him along with her. "But we can talk about getting rid of this sweater."

"Best idea I've heard all day." He wrapped an arm around her from behind. Andy turned his face into her neck and let his lips nuzzle the soft skin beneath her ear.

When her phone rang before they could reach the bedroom, Sharon pulled away from him. She sent him ahead of her to start the shower while she handled the call. She had no intentions of going to work that evening, and decided as she lifted the phone, that if it was one of her people calling they'd better have a very convincing argument. As it turned it, it was Gavin.

"I'm a little busy right now," she told him. Sharon kept the phone to her ear as she made her way into the bedroom.

"Well, I'm sure that you _think_ that you are," he crooned. Gavin smirked, even though it couldn't be seen. "I have a feeling you're going to be even busier before the night is over."

"Don't be crass." Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "Jealousy doesn't become you, darling."

"Oh please, I've moved on." Gavin drummed his fingers against the arm of the chair that he was reclining in. He had a specific part to play this evening. He'd received a text from the big goofball she was living with while she was otherwise occupied. "It's a good thing too. Apparently _our _lieutenant only wants to be _your_ lieutenant now."

Sharon snorted at him. "I think that was the plan all along, but thank you for recognizing it, Gavin."

"Oh sweetie, that's not what I mean." Gavin felt positively giddy now. He so liked having the upper hand with her. "Look on the table beside your bed. I believe there's a gift. Do me a favor? Answer appropriately. I've not been to the liquor store lately and I'm desperately low on gin. I won't be able to bail you out tonight."

"Gavin, what are you going on about?" Sharon was used to his flights of fancy and dramatics, but this was out there, even for him. She turned where she stood, just inside the bedroom, and cast her gaze toward the end table on her side of the bed. Her brows lifted at the sight of a small, blue box. "Gavin, I'm going to have to talk to you later," she said quietly, voice thick with emotion, and just a bit breathless.

"Don't worry, I won't wait up!"

He hung up on her then and it was just as well. Sharon wasn't hearing him anymore. Her legs felt heavy as she walked toward the bed, drawn forward by the box and her own curiosity. It was small. Too small to be anything but what it appeared to be. Her stomach clenched and danced with nervous energy. She reached for it with tingling fingers. Folded beneath the box was a note. _Read me first_ was written on the outside of it. Sharon lifted it in shaking fingers. It was simple enough, and scrawled in a familiar hand. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth as she read.

_This is not how I planned to ask. That seems to be a thing with us. I finally decided that as long as it's you and me, I don't think we can get it wrong. Wanna test that theory for a few more years? I was thinking something like 30 to life?_

Sharon drew a think breath. With the note still held in her hand, she lifted the top of the box. It was simple. Light sparkled on a single stone, and the platinum it was set in gleamed in clean, simple lines. Movement behind her drew her attention. Sharon turned. He was standing in the bathroom door. He leaned against the frame, hands tucked into his pockets, and just watched. He was waiting. Her gaze fell to the ring again. Slowly, a smile began to curve her lips. She looked up at him again through her lashes. "Are we sure that sentence fits the situation?"

His dark eyes gleamed. The corner of his mouth twitched toward a familiar, crooked smile. "I wouldn't mind longer, but I'll be happy with what I can get."

"Then I guess we'll have to work on that." She let the note and the box fall away, but she kept the ring. Sharon walked toward him with it. Her eyes were intent on his. It wasn't a sunset cruise. They weren't dressed for the occasion. She reflected, however, as he slid the ring on for her that their lives were largely unpredictable, but one thing remained the same. They had each other. He was right. They couldn't get it wrong as long as they were moving in the same direction. Even if they weren't, as long as they were willing to wait for each other, life might test them, but they could love their way through it.

There was no failure in that.

**~_FIN_**


End file.
